Recently, a certain photograph had been spreading like wildfire across the campus network.
Bystanders who were out of the loop flooded the comments: "City folk really know how to have fun," "Just browsing the web and I’m already being force-fed dog food," "Were the spectators part of your roleplay too?"...
But for those who actually knew Si Jiang and Zong Yan, the reactions were even more spectacular.
The students from Zong Yan’s original class were slack-jawed, questioning their very reality. Didn't Young Master Si loathe Zong Yan? Was there something wrong with their memories? Was this person, who accepted Zong Yan’s kiss with an air of absolute, prayer-like devotion, really the same arrogant Si Jiang they remembered?
Zong Yan’s current class was equally stunned.
The girls thought: *Wait, isn't Senior Zong Yan the one Bai Mao likes?* Although Bai Mao had never officially confessed, everyone had tacitly assumed the two would end up together.
Back in class, Senior Zong Yan and Senior Si Jiang hardly ever spoke; if anything, they seemed to be at odds. How did they suddenly go public in front of everyone like that?
*What about the 'Cat'?* they immediately wondered.
For him, this was equivalent to being dumped on the spot.
Yet, among everyone, the one who was the least surprised—but also the most despondent—was neither someone who liked Si Jiang nor someone who liked Zong Yan.
It was Chen Bai.
He had been there at the scene. He had watched Si Jiang receive his award and was just about to go up and give his bro a punch of congratulations for the victory when his "brother" didn't even see him. Si Jiang had run right past him like some kind of lapdog, pouncing toward that woman, Zong Yan.
Chen Bai had stood there in the whistling cold wind, his outstretched hand looking like a mockery of itself. He listened as Si Jiang shouted one bold, shameless thing after another.
He was utterly numb.
*Brother, how can you say such humiliating things out loud? Where is your dignity? Where is the pride of the great Young Master Si?*
When Si Jiang stood in that lower position, looking like he was ready to give whatever was asked of him as Zong Yan hooked his collar to pull him into a kiss, the first thought that popped into Chen Bai’s head was actually: *I worked so hard to save you, accompanied you through your treatment, looked after you like a nanny, and believed you when you said you wanted a fresh start...*
*I really am the clown here.*
He must have owed Si Jiang a life in a previous incarnation to be stuck with him as a brother in this one.
And now, the Si family would find out soon. He’d like to see what Si Jiang would do then!
Of course, Si Jiang still had some sense of propriety.
He wasn't about to actually expose the master-pet nature of his relationship with Zong Yan; he didn't have that kind of kink. Only Zong Yan, who was closest to him, could hear that "Master."
But even so, it was bold enough.
He admitted that when he secretly put on the collar during the halftime break, he had hesitated. Some things were considered "play" when done in private, but once brought into the light, the implications became far more complex.
However, Si Jiang couldn't think that far ahead. For the past two days, he had been in a state of extreme mental agitation. He wanted to do anything that could display, confirm, or deepen his relationship with Zong Yan.
His Master hadn't taken the initiative to put the collar back on him yet.
He could wait.
But he had to have it.
Since he had called out that "Master" again, then she shouldn't blame him for truly becoming a vicious hound, guarding his Master fiercely within his own world.
No one else was allowed to share her.
Si Jiang rested his chin on his hand, staring blankly at the podium.
He was a little sleepy.
In fact, most of the class was exhausted. They had been busy with the basketball tournament all day, only to have to return and sit through lectures like good little students. And it was a major-specific course that required one to rack their brains just to keep up.
Seeing the room full of listless, dazed faces, the professor grew irritated with his own lecturing and called Zong Yan up to the podium.
"Explain this section to them."
Zong Yan was obviously not as experienced as the professor. When explaining the diagrams, she often had to pause and think for a moment before offering her insights. However, her speaking pace was steady, her voice was unique, and she tried her best to break down the details. As her slender figure stood on the podium, she slowly drew everyone's attention.
She really was excellent.
Si Jiang slumped onto the desk; even he understood it.
It was rare to hear Zong Yan speak so much. She was usually concise and disliked expressing herself.
Had he ever mentioned that he actually found Zong Yan’s voice very attractive? Every time he heard it, it felt like some ancient, obscure instrument echoing in the night, making his eardrums tingle.
Unfortunately, except for moments of intense emotion, Zong Yan was a woman of few words.
Even in bed, most of the time, he could only hear her quickening breath.
That breath would hit the back of his neck like a wild beast watching its prey with predatory intent.
For a moment, Si Jiang even suspected Zong Yan would bite into that nape of his, picking him up by the neck...
He was so sleepy. The two of them had been at it until very late last night. His body was sore, his throat hurt a little, and his breath gradually grew warm...
"Ha..."
Si Jiang collapsed by the side of the bed, his body burning, his limbs weak. His usually firm muscles felt like they had turned to water, losing all strength.
He scrambled through the bedside drawer, rummaging through a pile of clutter until he finally grabbed a blister pack of medicine.
"Found it!"
Si Jiang’s eyes lit up. He held the medicine up like a literal lifesaver, checking it against the light.
It was empty.
The suppressants were gone.
The empty box clattered to the floor.
He was finished.
Leaning against the wall, he tottered toward the bathroom. The short distance felt like a grueling trek, and he finally reached the sink with great difficulty.
His satin pajamas were already soaked through.
He splashed a handful of cold water onto his face and looked up at himself.
The man in the mirror had a flushed face and glazed eyes, the corners of his eyes wet with tears. He looked... he looked like he was in heat.
Si Jiang closed his eyes and tilted his head slightly to look at the back of his neck—sure enough, it was already swollen like a piece of bulging jelly.
He was in pseudo-heat again.
The real heat cycle wouldn't be far off.
But Si Jiang couldn't be an Omega.
He felt his legs gradually becoming damp and hated his own fragile state. He was actually... longing for someone to...
*Clatter.*
The bathroom cabinets were also tossed into a mess.
He eventually found a single vial of suppressant, but it was expired. Still, he injected it into his body without hesitation.
An expired suppressant should still have some effect, right?
By the time Si Jiang pulled himself together and walked out, his parents were actually home, sitting at the dining table and eating breakfast with impeccable, robot-like poise.
Seeing him come down, his father’s nose twitched, and his brow furrowed instantly.
"Before you leave the house, deal with the scent of your pheromones."
There was no concern, no inquiry—only commands and distaste.
Si Jiang’s fingers curled. He didn't reply, merely sitting in his seat with a cold face and picking up a piece of bread.
"Didn't you hear your father? Si Jiang, how many times has Mother emphasized this to you? You cannot let anyone find out..."
Si Jiang slammed his chopsticks down, replying impatiently, "Can't let anyone find out that I’m not an Alpha, but an Omega, right? The heir to the Si family can only be an Alpha, right? You say it every day, aren't you tired of it?"
No one ever asked him if the pseudo-heat was painful.
No one ever thought about how he was supposed to endure that most critical stage.
Si Jiang only knew that for the rest of his life, he might have to live on suppressants.
Perhaps in the future, his parents would find him a perfect Omega wife for a marriage of convenience, and then they would produce offspring through medical means. They would be a "perfect" AO family, just like his parents.
Only then could the Si Group be stabilized.
Pointless.
Si Jiang lost his appetite. Amidst his parents' rebukes, he grabbed his bag and left the house.
"With that pathetic attitude, how will he ever accomplish anything?"
"If only his younger brother hadn't passed away..."
The complaints drifted further away.
Si Jiang’s heart sank further.
He knew what they meant. If they weren't incapable of producing another Alpha, they wouldn't have to put up with his temper at all.
They could have just married him off in a business alliance, and his late Alpha brother would have inherited the family business.
They wouldn't be relying on him—a talentless, disobedient Omega—to play the part of an Alpha.
When he arrived at school, Si Jiang was still in a foul mood.
Partly because of the morning lecture, and partly because of the hormonal fluctuations of his special period. He was uncomfortable, so naturally, his mood couldn't be good.
He was cutting it close again. The Dean was already catching people at the gate. Si Jiang took one look, turned around, and climbed over the wall at his usual spot.
His feet hit the ground, and he brushed off his hands.
Only at this moment did his mood improve slightly.
How could that middle-aged bald guy ever catch him?
Si Jiang tugged at his backpack strap and walked toward the teaching building, the breeze ruffling his hair.
However, in the next second, someone without eyes crashed right into him at the corner.
This person had very long hair and wore a faded school uniform. She carried a scent that was fresh yet tinged with a hint of coldness.
Si Jiang was about to curse when the scent drifted into his nose. He froze, immediately covering his nose and taking a step back.
"Sorry."
There was no apology in the newcomer's voice. She turned to leave as soon as she spoke.
Si Jiang finally realized who she was—Zong Yan, that dirt-poor female Alpha in his class, the person he hated most.
She was also the target he and his classmates often bullied.
"Hey, so what if you have no parents? Are you blind now, too?"
Si Jiang felt a surge of irritation just looking at her.
Why? Why was someone like her an Alpha, while he had differentiated into an Omega his parents despised?
Zong Yan finally stopped, looked up, and stared coldly at Si Jiang.
Her eyes held undisguised loathing.
She rarely hated people, but she felt a deep-seated repulsion for this arrogant, overbearing Si Jiang, who used his family background to run rampant and targeted her for no reason.
But right now, she had no time to deal with him.
Her rut was approaching, and she had to go get more suppressants.
Si Jiang was infuriated by her gaze. He was already dizzy with a low fever and feeling miserable; now he refused to let it go. He grabbed her hand. "Are you a mute? Say something."
"Who do you think you are, looking at me like that?"
As if she had been touched by a foul insect, Zong Yan violently shook off his hand, and a sliver of pheromones was released.
To her surprise, the nasty rich-kid Alpha, who was about her height, actually stumbled and fell to the ground.
*A scam?*
That was Zong Yan’s first thought.
*If he's trying to frame me for an injury, I don't have the money to pay him.*
Zong Yan suppressed her irritation and reached out. "Stop faking it. Get up."
But the person on the ground kept his head down, trembling imperceptibly as if the fall had actually hurt.
"?"
Zong Yan frowned and crouched down.
"Si Jiang, what are you doing?"
Then, her eyes slowly widened.
The overbearing youth’s eyes were shimmering with panicked tears. He was biting his lower lip, his face flushed with desire, looking at her as if she were some terrifying monster that would violate him.
Zong Yan narrowed her eyes, sensitively catching a strange scent.
She leaned down, ignoring Si Jiang’s weak resistance, and moved forcefully close to his ear.
That alluring scent was coming exactly from his nape.
"So... you're an Omega."
Si Jiang felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
...
In a remote school restroom.
The door was tightly shut, with a "Cleaning in Progress" sign hanging on it.
Inside, the most popular boy in school was pressed against a grimy mirror. His hands leaned weakly against the glass, his body burning, his face full of the flush of spring. He furrowed his brows, letting out strained, unbearable sounds.
"Be... be gentle..."
But regardless of whether he showed weakness or anger, the female Alpha behind him—his natural enemy, the person he hated most—kept her canines sunk deep into his gland.
As if biting through him, she injected her pheromones into the soft flesh.
Zong Yan looked up, a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth. Her eyes, cold and full of a desire for control, watched him. She reached out, forcing his face straight. Her rough, calloused hand rubbed against his delicate skin, leaving a crude mark.
"When I'm marking you, I don't want to see your face."
Heartless as always.
...
"Si Jiang?"
It was that same voice calling him.
Si Jiang moved his sore, weak body and opened his eyes.
Zong Yan was sitting beside him, frowning as she touched his forehead.
"Do you have a fever?"
Si Jiang leaned his face into her palm, thinking of the dream he just had.
He closed his eyes, his voice thick and clingy. "Don't look at me like that..."
"Hmm?"
Zong Yan reached out again, puzzled.
"You've gone stupid from the fever."
"I told you not to overdo it."
She let out a sigh.
That calloused hand patted his head soothingly, then came to rest on the back of his neck.
It was warm.
***
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