Chapter 5

The holographic display on his wrist quickly popped up a message.

[Song Yichu: Are you feeling unwell?]

Song Yao’an didn’t reply. He hurried back up to the second floor.

He pushed open the dorm room door without turning on the light and headed straight to the walk-in closet, rummaging through the dark in silence, his increasingly hurried breaths the only sound.

Finally, he found a vial of something and jabbed it sharply into the back of his neck.

[Song Yichu: You’re using an inhibitor? Are you showing susceptibility symptoms??]

Feeling the return of normal temperature at the back of his neck and the cooling of his burning breath, Song Yao’an leaned back onto the bed, staring in confusion at his fingers, his eyes unusually bright in the dark.

If Chi Xun really was an Alpha, then why did he provoke such a strange reaction in him?

This sensation had even affected Song Yichu, who was far away on Linxing. Until now, he had thought that the twins’ empathy only involved sharing tactile sensations, not glandular responses.

After a long moment, he finally replied.

[Brother, please keep this a secret.]

* * *

As expected, the next day Chi Xun woke up in pain.

Her arms and legs ached all over, as if she had been beaten during the night. Just crawling out of bed took her twenty minutes.

She hadn’t slept well either; her dreams were filled with repeated dance movements and intense physical training targeting Alphas.

Chi Xun splashed cold water on her face in the bathroom, feeling a bit more awake, though the dark circles under her eyes remained obvious.

After washing up, she mechanically began brushing her hair and changing clothes. When she put on her chest binder, the suffocating tightness was even more intense than the day before. She sluggishly lowered her head to press on the area.

How could this be? Was she still growing?

Chi Xun pondered for a long time without understanding, sighed, and leaned against the wall to stand. With a furrowed brow, she slowly shuffled toward the elevator, struggling with all her might to reach the dance studio door on the third floor.

“Thirty sets of jumping jacks, thirty sets of plank hip lifts, twenty sets of weighted glute bridges…”

Zhuang Xiao held a long list as she laid out the day’s training regimen. Hearing the noise, she turned around, her eyes lighting up.

“Xiao Xun, good morning.”

Chi Xun smiled back. “Good morning, Sister Xiao. Did you fix your flyer?”

“Too lazy to fix it, ordered a new one last night… Xie Sisheng, stop hesitating and finish your reps!”

Zhuang Xiao snapped sharply at the side. Seeing Chi Xun watching them curiously, she smiled and approached.

“I just remembered, you haven’t tried physical training yet, right? How does it look? Difficult?”

Chi Xun nodded and then shook her head.

“It just feels different from the previous training, with a lot of new movements.”

Noticing his gaze drifting toward Xie Sisheng’s waist and abdomen, Zhuang Xiao’s lips curled wider, pride shining in her eyes.

“Yes, those movements are exactly the key to their perfect physiques. Otherwise, how do you think their top-tier hormones, which drive fans and Omegas across the Federation wild, come about?”

“Oh, I see.”

Chi Xun nodded while rubbing her eyes, but the last part of her thoughts was pulled away by drowsiness, and she couldn’t help but yawn.

So sleepy, so sore.

Zhuang Xiao looked him over—his face and knees—and asked, “Didn’t rest well yesterday? Stayed up too late training?”

Chi Xun recalled being punished by the teacher before, her face paling.

“Yeah, I didn’t mean to… I didn’t know there was physical training this morning.”

“No big deal.”

Zhuang Xiao ruffled his hair. She clearly felt the boy’s tense body relax, and his gaze softened and became sincere.

She felt almost embarrassed to watch.

In truth, she thought Chi Xun didn’t even need these training sessions to possess a deadly allure—an allure different from those six teammates. One that could drive all three groups of ABO crazy.

As long as he was seen by more people, as long as he wanted.

Nearby, watching the two laughing together, Xie Sisheng was quite angry.

Double standards.

Why was everyone so biased toward Chi Xun?

At that moment, Zhuang Xiao suddenly looked over and pointed at him.

“Perfect timing. He also needs someone to help stretch his legs. You can learn how he trains.”

Chi Xun nodded.

* * *

Xie Sisheng raised an eyebrow, about to refuse.

But Zhuang Xiao shot him a fierce look, and he was silenced.

A pressure came down on the top of his foot. Soon, soft hands grasped his ankle. Frowning, it was the first time Xie Sisheng had been so close to another man.

He urged, “Are you putting enough pressure? I’m about to start.”

“Wait a moment…”

Chi Xun looked at his ankle, which she hadn’t fully gripped, then at the veins bulging on his arm. She quickly shifted forward, trying to put her entire weight on it, then said, “Okay.”

Feeling the warmth of the skin below his calf pressed against him, Xie Sisheng coughed awkwardly and began doing sit-ups.

Today he wore a black-and-gray T-shirt and matching sweatpants, with several silver chains hanging over his neck to look cool. At first, Chi Xun didn’t know where to look and kept staring at the necklaces.

But gradually, the sweat beads forming at his collar dampened the chains, causing them to rub repeatedly against his collarbone. After several repetitions, he impatiently bit the end of a chain and held it in his mouth.

Watching his clenched cheeks and the faint flash of his lower teeth, his sharp canine seemed capable of piercing the gland during marking, reminding Chi Xun of the dream from the first night.

She silently shifted her gaze but was soon drawn to something else even more obvious.

Hmm.

Quite a large bulge.

Even though he was only wearing black pants, the rectangular shadow formed by that area and its surroundings was very prominent. No wonder in the book he and Si Heng had fought fiercely over who would take the dominant position, neither willing to yield.

Chi Xun’s thoughts drifted further. Should she buy a fake one too, just in case?

Was Xie Sisheng’s size L or XL?

She didn’t know if those things were sold by weight; if so, she’d probably get an S-size.

It wouldn’t be heavy to wear, and it was cost-effective.

Suddenly, the pressure on his ankle lightened. Sensing something amiss, Xie Sisheng looked up just in time to see Chi Xun staring fixedly at him.

More precisely, at the area just below his waistband.

A sudden heat surged through him, anger flaring.

What did this kid mean?

He had watched strange videos the night before, flirted with Si Heng during the day, changing affections repeatedly. Now he was back again, scheming over his body.

Did he think he could act so frivolously just because he came from the Lower District?

Xie Sisheng’s molars ground together sharply.

At that moment, the dance studio door was pushed open. Song Yao’an and Si Heng entered together. Song Yao’an had been laughing and rolling up his sleeves but upon seeing Xie Sisheng training inside with Chi Xun, the smile on his lips faded somewhat.

He rubbed his now-normal gland and walked over to the two.

“Trouble again?” Song Yao’an asked.

Xie Sisheng: “What do you mean?”

Song Yao’an looked at his reddened earlobes and said with meaning, “You… didn’t you say the other day you couldn’t get along with Chi Xun, a commoner?”

Seeing Chi Xun stunned, Xie Sisheng’s chest tightened inexplicably. Frowning, he said, “When did I say that? I clearly said….” But thinking of Chi Xun’s recent flirtations, he hesitated, “Fine, let someone else stretch my legs. He’s as weak as a chick.”

“I want to train this set too. Let the captain help you.”

“…” Xie Sisheng stood up disdainfully. “Forget it, I’m going to plank.”

Song Yao’an smiled warmly as he watched him leave, then said to Chi Xun, “Help me stretch. I’m not used to heavy pressure.”

He guessed Chi Xun wouldn’t refuse.

Not after last night when he’d delivered his slippers.

Sure enough, Chi Xun walked over to him.

While he adjusted his mat and posture, Chi Xun quietly sat aside, sipping water. Soft wisps of hair fell forward, revealing his snow-white nape.

At the gland’s position, there was a small red mole.

Sometimes hidden by stray hair, sometimes visible, it inexplicably seemed to invite a bite.

Song Yao’an’s gaze tightened silently. Smiling, he said, “By the way, did you smell anything strange in the room after I left yesterday?”

Chi Xun looked up blankly.

* * *

Betas were like severe sufferers of allergic rhinitis in the world of pheromones; of course, she couldn’t smell anything.

But since he asked—

Chi Xun: “Maybe a little, but I can’t quite remember.”

Song Yao’an: “I see.”

He smiled and beckoned to Chi Xun, lowering his voice.

“…I have a secret to tell you.”

Chi Xun leaned in.

“I’m actually an Omega,” Song Yao’an said, looking straight at her. “But no one else knows. I’ve been hiding it since the year of differentiation.”

Chi Xun: “Then why tell me?”

Song Yao’an smiled lightly and answered honestly, “Because you seem weaker and not very aggressive.”

Chi Xun: “…”

Damn, so honest.

Song Yao’an’s smile grew brighter, his eyes curved warmly.

“So I feel like I can rely on you, brother.”

Sunlight filled the room. Hearing his soft, vulnerable tone close to her ear, Chi Xun suddenly truly felt like she had become Chi Xun—that being depended on by someone younger felt like this.

Song Yichu had been watching his reaction.

He had expected surprise or doubt on his face, but there was none. Not even the curiosity or the lofty possessiveness that Alphas usually had toward Omegas. Chi Xun only seriously examined his gland and whispered, “Don’t trust others too much. I’m pretty bad too.”

Then he paused and added solemnly,

“But I’ll keep your secret.”

Song Yichu smiled again.

This time, the smile seeped deep into his endless dark eyes, reaching the very core.

…

After resting for half a day, Chi Xun found a corner to practice dancing again in the afternoon.

She didn’t even remember how she got back to her dorm after training, so exhausted she collapsed onto the sofa and fell asleep immediately.

As evening fell, footsteps echoed on the stairs outside her door.

Xie Sisheng had just finished swimming, a dry towel draped around his neck. He was lazily drying his hair tips and ear piercings as he climbed the stairs to his room but stopped when he saw the scene across the hall.

Chi Xun’s door was wide open, the light on inside.

Further in, a pair of legs dangled over the armrest of a single sofa, slippers hanging loosely.

Recalling the embarrassed look on the boy’s face after what he said earlier that day, Xie Sisheng involuntarily took a couple of steps forward.

It wasn’t exactly kindness wanting to close the door for him.

The soundproofing was too poor; he didn’t want to hear any more strange noises.

At the door, Xie Sisheng clearly saw the figure on the sofa—Chi Xun lying on his side, sleeping deeply, his baby-faced cheeks pressed out like a pufferfish.

He raised an eyebrow, thinking the plump cheeks looked quite pinchable.

But was the day’s training really this intense? So exhausted? It wasn’t even a third of the intensity he had during his trainee days.

Taking bigger steps, Xie Sisheng walked in and pressed the light switch on the wall.

Just then, a powerful scent of coconut milk suddenly invaded his nostrils.

This rich, S-class fragrance nearly made him gag, as if he had stumbled into an intense marking scene.

He scanned every corner of the room. Even though the wind had diluted it, the scent was everywhere—the windowsill, carpet, bed, even near the bathroom door.

Wait.

Isn’t coconut milk Song Yichu’s pheromone?