Chapter 12

Chapter 12

012

The dormitory.

Chu Li was oblivious to the latest breach of common knowledge he had committed.

Under Peng Zihao's guidance, they quickly arrived at a new dormitory area. For the first time, Chu Li noticed different numbers on the buildings.

Building West One, Building West Two... Building East One, Building East Two...

Found it!

A smile spread across Chu Li's face as he turned to Peng Zihao and said, "Thank you."

Peng Zihao had been following closely behind Chu Li. The Omega seemed aloof, but when he smiled, his eyes slightly curved, exuding an alluring charm. Peng Zihao's gaze darkened, and he leaned closer, his smile carrying a hint of suggestiveness. "No need to thank me. We're classmates; helping each other is just what we should do."

Chu Li, however, remained completely unaware. Having come from Earth, he was not sensitive to same-sex relationships and perceived Peng Zihao's actions as mere friendly assistance between classmates.

Since he had found his dormitory, there was no need to waste Peng Zihao's time any longer. "Thank you, I can manage on my own from here."

Peng Zihao asked, "Do you want me to escort you upstairs?"

"No, no need." Chu Li smiled. "Thank you for sending me back. I'll treat you to a meal another day."

Peng Zihao finally grinned, as expected. Since the other party was so proactive, he didn't need to say much more. This was a Beta dormitory building, and he wasn't allowed inside anyway.

After expressing his gratitude once again, Chu Li entered the dormitory with his suitcase in tow.

The dormitory was more luxurious than he had imagined. Even though it only had four floors, it had an elevator. He effortlessly made his way up to the third floor and arrived at the door of Room 304.

Before he could push the door open, it was pulled open from the inside.

A tall boy emerged, holding a cup of water. Apparently, he hadn't expected anyone to be outside, and his hurried steps almost caused him to collide with Chu Li.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't see you—"

The boy lifted his head and found Chu Li standing outside. His voice trails off, his face turning red as he struggled to catch his breath before softly apologizing, "Sorry, you... When did you get here?"

"I just arrived," Chu Li replied with a smile. "Did I disturb you?"

Scratching his head, the boy scratches vigorously twice before answering, "N-No."

He stood rooted at the door, neither advancing nor moving aside.

With such an innocent and clueless demeanor, this must be Xu Dongfeng, the boy mentioned in the original owner's diary. Chu Li paused for a moment and said with a gentle smile, "Dongfeng, aren't you going to let me in?"

"Ahh!" Xu Dongfeng's face flushed even more as he hastily moved aside. "S-Sorry, I forgot. Come in, they're all inside."

Finished speaking, he fled to the pantry with a crimson face.

Chu Li watched his retreating figure, feeling a bit amused.

This roommate seemed quite straightforward, which should make living together easy. Pushing open the door, Chu Li entered the dormitory with his luggage.

It was a typical four-person room with bunk beds. Two boys were seated on the beds near the door – one thin with fair skin and blond hair, looking at Chu Li curiously like a little hamster; the other wore glasses with golden frames, his appearance unremarkable, but his gaze through the lenses was sharp when directed at Chu Li.

The boy who just left was tall and robust, resembling a bear.

There were three people in this dormitory, each with their unique traits.

The original owner had mentioned his roommates in his diary: the one with golden hair was Ning Yue, and the one with glasses was Lin Chengming.

All three of them had been transferred from other departments, and their relationship with the original owner was akin to that between the original owner and the little yellow dog at the school gate – they had seen each other but weren't acquainted.

This relieved Chu Li somewhat, as he wasn't sure how to handle the original owner's social connections.

Now, they looked at him as if he were an endangered species. Chu Li couldn't help but clear his throat and say, "My bed...?"

Before he could finish, Ning Yue pointed inside and said, "We've saved it for you, Bed One."

Chu Li stepped in and noticed that Bed One was the lower bunk against the wall, so he placed his luggage there.

The previously lively dorm fell quiet upon his arrival. He could sense Ning Yue and Lin Chengming studying him.

Chu Li couldn't help but sigh inwardly. What made him different from them? Whatever they had, he possessed too; conversely, what he had... sorry, they might truly lack.

The ABO world was truly giving Chu Li a headache. To avoid an overly awkward atmosphere, he packed his belongings, made his bed, and then picked up his change of clothes. Addressing the other two, he said, "I'll go take a shower."

---

As soon as Chu Li entered the bathroom, the two silent individuals exchanged glances. Before they could exchange a few words, Xu Dongfeng returned from outside.

Their eyes met, and all three were slightly surprised.

Xu Dongfeng scratched his head and said, "Hey, he just greeted me. Usually, he wouldn't even look up when we cross paths, right?"

"Yeah, he even smiled at me," Ning Yue replied, hugging himself while shrinking into his bed.

He had fair skin, appearing more like an Omega than Chu Li did.

Lin Chengming didn't say anything but pushed up his glasses and commented, "Isn't this better? Last semester, we couldn't even speak whenever he came back."

All the roommates got along well, except for Chu Li. His gender was already different from theirs, so they didn't dare to force any interaction with him. Chu Li usually kept to himself and didn't cause any trouble, but there was still a subtle discomfort between them.

Xu Dongfeng, being tall and straightforward, scratched his head and said, "I feel like he's different from before."

Lin Chengming inquired, "What's different?"

Xu Dongfeng scratched his head, unable to articulate his thoughts.

What was different? If he were to be precise... everything was different.

It was as if he had become an entirely new person.

---

Upon entering the bathroom, Chu Li first touched the back of his neck.

Behind his slender and fair neck, there was a slight flush of red, and the skin there felt even softer and more delicate, quietly proclaiming to the world that its owner was an Omega.

At this moment, there was a pale indentation on that precious gland. Chu Li tilted his head to glance at it in the mirror; the bite mark had not faded.

A week had passed, and it was almost impossible for the wound not to have healed.

He had been permanently marked by someone.

This realization made Chu Li sigh. He had previously hoped that the person he met in the small black room was not an Alpha or had not permanently marked him. Now it seemed that such a fortunate coincidence was not destined for him.

Better focus on how to remove the mark.

Bending down, Chu Li cupped his hands under the faucet and splashed a handful of clear water onto his gland. After wearing the gland patch for a whole day, his gland was extremely sensitive. The cold water sent a shiver through his entire body upon contact.

He held onto the edge of the sink to prevent himself from collapsing onto his knees.

Even after a week, he still couldn't comprehend the devilish nature of this world's AB/O gender classification! A slight touch on his gland would elicit a strong reaction. He dared not imagine what it would feel like if someone were to actually bite him!

Forget it, what it feels like to be bitten is irrelevant to him now.

He didn't want to experience it in the future either.

Chu Li gently wiped his gland with a towel.

After removing the gland patch, his gland felt much better, especially when it was steamed by the hot water and steam during the shower, as if his pores had opened up.

Unfortunately, this comfort didn't last long. After his bath, despite his reluctance, Chu Li resolutely tore off another gland patch and covered his recently exposed gland once more.

Having been permanently marked, he was technically no longer required to wear an omega patch. Other Alphas wouldn't lose control even if they caught his scent.

But without the patch, the bite mark on his gland would be visible to others, revealing that he had been "pre-engaged and marked." Chu Li disliked complications and preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble, so he decided to keep it a secret for now.

After attending to his unique body, Chu Li emerged from the bathroom.

He had arrived late, so by the time he finished showering, night had fallen. It was the first day of school, and the campus cafeteria wasn't open yet. Dinner options were either eating out or ordering takeout.

Chu Li wasn't particularly hungry and planned to go straight to bed. However, Xu Dongfeng insisted that skipping dinner was unhealthy and urged him to eat. Somewhat dazed, Chu Li agreed to let Xu Dongfeng bring him food.

Half an hour later, Xu Dongfeng returned with a chilly breeze, bearing takeout meals for the entire dormitory. He placed a portion specifically in front of Chu Li, saying, "Eat more. Look at how skinny you are, even thinner than Ning Yue."

"Hey, hey, hey," Ning Yue protested from the side. "Why do you have to drag me into this?"

Chu Li accepted the meal, expressing gratitude. "Thank you."

This was the first act of kindness he had received since arriving in this world. Indeed, when he reached school, he realized that there were more ordinary people in this world than he had expected.

Xu Dongfeng's face flushed red from Chu Li's sincere thanks. He dared not speak and hastily retreated to a corner with his lunchbox.

After dinner, while others lay on their beds chatting, Chu Li retrieved the "Omega Handbook" from his luggage and continued reading.

He needed to adapt quickly to the rules of this world to avoid causing more trouble.

By the time Chu Li finished reading, it was very late, and everyone else had already fallen asleep. Exhausted from the day's journey, he also felt drained. After putting the book down, he brushed his teeth before lying back down.

Lying in bed, he found himself unable to sleep, instead, his thoughts drifted towards his future life.

Half-awake and half-asleep for an indeterminate amount of time, a sliver of light suddenly pierced through the window. Chu Li snapped awake, realizing that the night had passed in a daze. He turned over, intending to sleep some more, but was startled by a meow coming from outside the window.

"Miaow-oooh—"

It was a familiar, melodramatic cry, tinged with a hint of sorrow.

Chu Li: "..."

In the end, he couldn't resist turning over and getting out of bed to look out on the balcony. Their dorm was on the third floor, just barely allowing him to make out the illuminated flower bed below. At that moment, a Li Hua cat was crouching on the flower bed, gazing mournfully at his room's window.

Chu Li was startled. "Little Li Hua? How did you follow me here?"

It was obvious that the cat outside wouldn't be able to hear him, even if it did, it wouldn't be able to respond.

He had thought that Little Li Hua had simply accidentally become attached to him, assuming it had its own home or territory. As he needed to attend school, he couldn't take it away from its familiar surroundings, which was why he had chased it out of the room.

To his surprise, it had actually followed him all the way, seemingly determined to be his cat.

Chu Li was both astonished and softened by this. He no longer had the heart to chase it away, so he walked to the window and looked down, preparing to go find it. But before he could, the little kitten climbed up the drainpipe on its own.

Just like at Chu Heyang's house, it perched on a corner of the windowsill to look at him. However, this was the third floor, much more dangerous than Chu Heyang's place. Chu Li didn't dare let it stay like that, so he opened the window and let it in.

The kitten had been running for a whole day and night, its fur drenched and its legs covered in mud.

Seeing this, Chu Li couldn't bear it. He turned around to fetch a towel, intending to clean it up.

Author's Note:

Announcing two upcoming releases:

1. A heartwarming, lightweight romance, not overly lengthy, set against the backdrop of the entertainment industry, with minimal delve into its intricacies; mostly about a couple participating in a variety show for some sweet moments together.

Originally titled "Atypical Canary," it was intended to portray a story where the recipient takes the initiative to become a canary, drawing close to the attacker. Due to certain reasons (you know what), both the synopsis and title have been altered. Nonetheless, the essence remains the same; let your imagination fill in the blanks.

"Little Lord Pretending Poverty (Entertainment Circle)"

Que Wenzhu has taken a fancy to a male celebrity.

Rumor has it that in the entertainment world, delicate and vulnerable white flowers are favored by influential figures, who then take them under their wings.

Que Wenzhu buys into this notion and deliberately "bumps into" the star at a bar they frequently visit.

As a result, he is successfully "picked up" by the big shot and taken home.

---

Yudu has recently come across a fresh-faced, ethereal white flower in the industry, precisely his type.

In the bar, a delicate and innocent young man was being flirted with until his entire body turned red. He couldn't bear to see it and rescued the youth from the situation. Little did he expect that the same night, the young man would climb into his bed, looking at him with teary eyes full of grievance.

Yudou knew the other party had misunderstood, and he should have explained, but the young man's gaze was too alluring; he couldn't resist taking a taste.

After that first taste, he couldn't get it out of his mind, and he couldn't resist taking another.

As he tasted again and again, the wild little flower became a domesticated one.

---

The little flower was alone and helpless, so to please him, he made their home incredibly warm and cozy. Yudou was busy with work and often flew around without returning home. Since Que Wenzhu moved in, there was always someone waiting for him no matter how late he came back. When he was drunk, someone would bring him hangover tea to his bedside, and when he was sick, someone would brave the rain to buy medicine for him.

Knowing full well that falling in love was the worst option in this relationship, Yudou still found himself sinking deeper and deeper.

Just as he was considering how to nurture the dependent little creeper who relied on him financially into an independent and charming lady...

The president of the entertainment company he had signed with personally paid a visit, pleading softly for their little flower to return home: "Brother, Dad said he was wrong. Don't hold a grudge, come back with your brother."

Yudou: "..."

---

The second one is an esports-themed novel, which will likely be longer than the first. I adore the character setup, so I definitely have to write this one!

Title: "I Hate That You're a Block of Wood (Esports)"

Synopsis:

Jiang Wanmu is a prodigious talent in the world of esports, masterful at controlling the battlefield with his support skills. However, after a tragic car accident two years into his professional career, he loses his divine hands completely.

His hands tremble uncontrollably, preventing him from executing precise maneuvers, but his understanding of the game remains. Passionate about the industry and the thrill of competitive gaming, he refuses to wallow in self-pity or give up.

Instead, he transitions into a commentator role, finding a new way to stay within the industry he loves most, accompanying his former teammates through countless matches, witnessing them raise championship trophies with his own eyes.

---

Lin Jieyu was once the unrivaled Sniper King in the game "only," topping the leaderboard for headshots. The game's developers adjusted the sniper's damage coefficients and shooting mechanics multiple times to curb his dominance, yet they failed to break his unbeaten legend within the sniper class.

He had led his team to victory in the World League three times, earning him the title of the king of TPS games.

Yet, a year ago, during the World League match, Lin Jieyu was suddenly hospitalized due to an illness, and after half a year of recovery, he was secretly sold by his team to an obscure third-rate squad.

Many lamented the hardships that befell Lin Jieyu and scorned the unscrupulous team owner.

Some believed that Lin Jieyu's glory days were over and that he wouldn't return; a new era was about to dawn.

Until he emerged, leading that very same third-rate squad back into the finals.

Proclaim to the world with irrefutable evidence that the era of the old king has never truly ended!

As an accomplished translator of both Chinese and English literature, specializing in the genre of danmei, I am currently immersed in the translation of a novel that is rich with the nuances and tropes characteristic of this genre. Please find below the elegant and faithful rendering of the subsequent passage into English:

Few are aware that Lin Jieyu was the initial inspiration for Jiang Wanmu's entry into the world of esports.

During the competition, he was too shy to lift his head for a second glance, and after being injured and leaving the arena, he dared even less to approach.

Only daring to pour out his sorrows to his former teammate, he secretly sends gifts to Lin Jieyu's live streaming channel and fills his room with purchased merchandise.

Until one day, Jiang Wanmu, now a professional commentator, spent the night at his former team's base and encountered Lin Jieyu, who had just taken a shower with damp hair.

Jiang Wanmu: "..."

His fan's heart exploded.

The articulate and eloquent Jiang Wanmu on the competition stage turned into a block of wood. He didn't dare to approach, let alone look, and hastily fled the scene.

Despite repeated prodding by his former teammates, he didn't even have the courage to add his idol on WeChat.

But why did his idol keep appearing before him, showcasing his skills, winning MVPs, smiling at him initiatively, mentioning his name multiple times during live streams? Not to mention carrying him to a higher rank in the new season! Why would he also flaunt his physique and abs in front of him?

He felt like his fan persona was crumbling!

---

Lin Jieyu had never seen such a "shy" fan, especially since he had been so proactive.

"Isn't my intention clear to you?"

"Jiang Wanmu, how I truly despise your wooden nature!"