Chapter 13

Chapter 13

013

How Adorable!

While wiping its legs, he couldn't resist lifting its hind leg for a peek.

People often said that pregnant kittens might approach strangers to seek attention and give birth in human homes. Could this kitten be an expectant mother?

Upon noticing the cat bell hidden beneath its thick fur, Chu Li couldn't resist poking it with his fingertip. The kitten immediately meowed, flipped over, and covered the bell with its paw while staring at him intently.

Its expression seemed as if it had been flirted with by Chu Li.

"Cough," Chu Li cleared his throat and continued grooming it seriously.

Unexpectedly, the kitten shyly glanced at him again before lying down on the ground, exposing its belly toward him.

It seemed to convey, "If you want to touch, go ahead."

Chu Li: "..."

Has this cat attended university?

Amused yet exasperated, Chu Li wrapped the kitten's head with a towel and wiped it down from top to bottom.

After the cleaning, the kitten was much cleaner, but still looked damp and pitiful.

He could never harden his heart against the little creature. Turning around, he went into his dormitory and retrieved the fish steak he hadn't finished for dinner. Stripping off its crispy golden crust, he revealed the tender white flesh inside. Placing it in a takeout box, he presented it before the kitten.

"I know it's not ideal to feed you this, but it's all I have. Would you like to try?"

The kitten didn't mind at all. Unlike stray cats that hunted mice, it wasn't accustomed to such food. What else would it eat?

It lowered its head and devoured the fish greedily, revealing its genuine hunger.

Chu Li crouched beside it, unable to resist stroking its feline head.

The first rays of sunlight in the morning illuminated the dormitory, but adhering to the principle of "not getting out of bed until the last class," none of the roommates in Room 403 had awoken. Ning Yue, who was by the window, even pulled the covers over his face.

After Chu Li woke up, he couldn't fall back asleep. Seeing that it was already past eight and the others were still in bed, he took his cafeteria card and went to fetch breakfast.

The day before, Xu Dongfeng had helped buy their meals. In light of the reciprocity, Chu Li decided to take care of breakfast for them this time.

Although these boys were reluctant to rise, they would eat when food was brought to their mouths.

Having learned from his previous experience, Chu Li cleverly pulled up the map on his personal terminal as he walked, following its directions.

Upon opening the map, he realized that the school was enormous, with a river running through the center, dividing it into North and South campuses. Chu Li's Omega Academy was situated on the South campus. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that next to the Omega Academy was a dormitory – the very place he had first arrived at.

It seemed strange that he hadn't been assigned to a dorm within his own academy but instead found himself living with a few Betas for reasons unknown.

Chu Li wasn't too bothered by this; what concerned him more was what exactly the Omega Academy taught.

He had already perused those so-called "textbooks," and their contents stirred an ominous premonition within him.

Lost in thought, he reached the cafeteria entrance. There weren't many people dining in; most were picking up meals to take back to their roommates.

Chu Li was about to enter when he heard rustling nearby. He turned his head and saw the green-eyed Li Hua Cat crouching in the bushes, watching him from a short distance.

Chu Li: "..." It felt as if he were a scoundrel who had abandoned someone after a fleeting dalliance, now being hunted down.

He was helpless when it came to this little cat. One night, out of a momentary soft heart, he had let it into his room, and now it seemed to be clingy.

The school should have a higher tolerance for kittens than Chu Heyang's family, Chu Li thought. He waved at Li Hua Cat and whispered, "Don't follow me. I'll come look for you later."

The kitten seemed to understand and remained motionless in the grass.

Chu Li sighed in relief and entered the cafeteria.

It wasn't much different from the cafeterias he remembered from his previous life. Each food stall had simple signs, and Chu Li quickly found what he wanted to buy. After purchasing his meal, he went to the neighboring stall to buy two steamed fish without much seasoning, planning to feed them to Li Hua Cat later.

Exiting, he bumped into another acquaintance.

Peng Zihao.

The other had seen him too, but since he was with a companion, he didn't approach. Instead, Peng Zihao engaged in conversation with his friend while glancing up to smile at Chu Li.

Chu Li was grateful for the other party's help yesterday, but he instinctively felt that there was something odd about this person's attitude. An acquaintance from one brief encounter was being overly enthusiastic.

He turned on his heels and took advantage of the conversation not yet ending to slip out through a side door.

Not long after Chu Li left, Peng Zihao fell silent.

Someone next to him asked, "Boss, what's wrong?"

Peng Zihao gazed in the direction Chu Li had gone, a hint of a smile appearing on his face. "More interesting than I imagined."

---

Exiting the cafeteria, Chu Li found Li Hua Cat still waiting for him outside.

The subtle awkwardness from running into Peng Zihao had vanished, replaced by a mix of indulgence and exasperation. Chu Li curved his lips, waving at the persistent Li Hua Cat. The two found a corner, where Chu Li placed the steamed fish on the ground, uncovering it for the cat to eat.

Li Hua Cat meowed softly at Chu Li before lowering its head to enjoy the meal.

Chu Li waited patiently nearby. After Li Hua Cat finished eating, he poured some water into its empty bowl. Then, with a sigh, he stroked its head. "How did you, as a cat, manage to chase all the way here from your home?"

Li Hua Cat, unable to comprehend the two-legged creature's words, instinctively took the phrase as praise. It lifted its head and meowed, its voice melodiously winding and somewhat resembling the coquettish behavior of a little green tea bitch.

Chu Li was amused by this and tapped its ear with his finger twice.

Li Hua Cat, with its ears twitching slightly, bent its head to continue drinking water.

The delicate pink tongue flicked repeatedly, and before long, most of the water in the bowl had vanished.

Li Hua Cat ceased drinking and crouched on the ground, gently licking its paws and washing its face.

Chu Li's heart melted as he gently stroked its head and whispered, "Since you've followed me here, just live here then. There should be many people to feed you, but don't become a little chubby."

The little Li Hua Cat stopped licking its paws and tilted its head to look at Chu Li—humph, it knew that these two-legged creatures were fickle and unfaithful. It had already caught up, yet it still didn't want it!

However, it understood what the two-legged creature meant about not getting fat! It was in great shape! No cat on the entire Blue Stripe Star could boast a better figure than it did!

The little Li Hua Cat proudly lifted its head and, with elegant poise, hopped away from the water bowl, stopping in front of Chu Li. On purpose, it walked back and forth in front of him, strutting like a cat.

Of course, Chu Li noticed the little cat's display; he hadn't expected it to be so attention-seeking. So, he praised it wholeheartedly, "You're so adorable!"

The mischievous Li Hua Cat, trying to get Chu Li to praise its agility: "..."

Qwq, this two-legged creature doesn't follow the rules!

After feeding the cat, Chu Li returned to his dormitory with the rest of the food. This time, Li Hua Cat didn't cling onto him and followed him only to the door of the dorm. After watching him go in, it went off to play in the nearby bushes.

For a cat, living freely in the wild might be happier than being domesticated indoors, even though it also meant facing more dangers.

However, Chu Li currently had no conditions to keep it, so this was the best he could do.

Upon returning to the dorm, the others had just woken up. Seeing the breakfast he had bought, their attitude towards him instantly became much warmer.

Not knowing what they preferred, Chu Li chose the safest option, steamed buns and flatbreads. To guys who loved to sleep in, anyone who brought them breakfast was like a father - who cared what was served?

After the meal, Chu Li started studying his class schedule. The school would officially start classes tomorrow, and the new semester's courses were elective as long as enough credits were fulfilled.

However, the schedule was somewhat confusing to him.

Despite spending the entire morning on it, he still couldn't figure out a suitable choice. As noon approached, Xu Dongfeng approached Chu Li with a cookie in his mouth, "What do you Omega students study anyway?"

At the Omega Academy, only Omegas were allowed, unless under special circumstances, students from other departments were not permitted entry.

They were both intrigued by the legendary Omega Academy, but due to their previous lukewarm relationship with Chu Li, they had never dared to inquire about it before.

But this morning, Chu Li had brought them breakfast, establishing their unbreakable bond as sworn brothers who affectionately addressed each other as 'dad.' Hence, it was acceptable to inquire.

Feeling helpless, Chu Li handed the class schedule directly to Xu Dongfeng. "You take a look for yourself."

Xu Dongfeng took the list and began reading aloud, "Family Cooking Techniques, Organizing Skills: How to Tidy Your Home, Caring for Your Alpha, and Parenting Guide..."

Reading on, Xu Dongfeng's face flushed red. He was still a naive Beta who had never been in love! Were AO relationships really that intense? They even taught reproductive guides in class?

He threw the schedule back to Chu Li like it was a hot potato, blushing as he said, "You... You guys study some unique stuff, huh."

Chu Li's expression grew even more helpless. Suddenly, he became curious about the department Xu Dongfeng and his friends were in. "What do you all study?"

Xu Dongfeng replied, "I specialize in warship maintenance, Ning Yue is a humanities student, I think he studies something like... pre-interstellar navigation human history or something? I don't quite understand humanities students, but Lin Chengming studies math; his major has a long name that I can't remember. Anyway, he spends all day calculating, so it's probably similar to studying math."

"Who says I just study math?" Lin Chengming's voice came from the doorway. "I'm in the Department of Interstellar Navigation and Planetary Orbital Calculation. We're responsible for testing new spacecraft flights and estimating the value of newly discovered planets."

Xu Dongfeng scratched his head. "I don't quite get it, but it has something to do with mathematics."

Lin Chengming pushed up the frames of his glasses and said, "No wonder you can only fix spaceships."

Approaching the pair, he cast his gaze on Chu Li's course selection form. "Is this your course registration sheet?"

Faced with the nearly secluded Omega Academy, Lin Chengming was also filled with curiosity. He glanced through the curriculum and wore a look of disdain, "What are these... I don't quite understand your AO dynamics."

Xu Dongfeng spoke nervously, "How dare you talk to me like that!"

Chu Li was not too bothered, for he was just as helpless. "My family enrolled me. Do you have any Omegas in your department?"

Lin Chengming said, "My major at East Wind is mentally demanding, while Ning Yue's is physically exhausting. Most Omegas wouldn't opt for such challenging fields, but there are quite a few Omegas in Ning Yue's department."

Chu Li's eyes brightened. That meant Omegas didn't necessarily have to attend that so-called Omega-only academy; he could transfer to a different department!

Lin Chengming was sharp and immediately grasped Chu Li's meaning. "You want to transfer departments?"

Without waiting for Chu Li to nod, he continued, "I'm afraid it's not that simple. In the Empire, Omegas have very limited freedom. Changing majors requires the consent of their family, with all members signing off on the decision. Moreover, there would be significant obstacles... Those Omegas who study outside Omega Academy don't have it easy either."

Sighing, he cast a disdainful glance at the course selection form. "Although your curriculum is subpar, the workload is light, and you receive financial aid from your family for attending this college. Why would you want to transfer? Even if you do, it'll be challenging to find a job afterward..."

He didn't say it outright, but his words conveyed the message clearly.

Even if an Omega pursued other disciplines, upon graduation, they could only "find a good family to marry into."

Transferring majors was merely a futile endeavor.

Chu Li didn't dwell on whether or not he should transfer. Instead, he focused on another crucial point. "Omegas in the Empire aren't free? Then where is freedom to be found?"

"Of course—" However, before Lin Chengming could finish his sentence, Xu Dongfeng pulled him back and covered his mouth. Lin Chengming struggled for a moment but ultimately remained silent.

Pushing Xu Dongfeng away with force, he spat disdainfully, "Eww! Don't touch me with your dirty hands!"

Xu Dongfeng hurriedly apologized with a smile. "You really shouldn't say such things carelessly. It's alright... Li Li, don't listen to him. Just stay in the Omega College. Little Omegas like you should be protected... Lin Chengming, what are you doing?!"

"Only in your Empire do people think Omegas should be protected," Lin Chengming scoffed. "What's the difference between someone without autonomy and a pet?"

With that, he brushed off his sleeves and walked towards the door.

Xu Dongfeng, sensing the awkward atmosphere, shot Chu Li a glance before turning to chase after Lin Chengming.

Little did Chu Li expect that selecting a class would lead to such an unexpected turn of events. However, Lin Chengming's words reminded him of Chu Heyang's family's previous attitude.

Seems like I have a long and challenging road ahead, Chu Li sighed, lowering his head to start writing on the course selection form.

He had no choice but to pick classes; otherwise, before he could even consider changing majors, he might be expelled for lacking credits.

In such a large environment, leaving school could very well result in even more troublesome encounters.

Ultimately, Chu Li chose a cooking class, a painting class, and a mandatory course on "The Omega Code."