Chapter 16

Chapter 16

016

Change of Major

Chu Li pondered for a moment and said to the kitten, "Wait for me a few more days. I'll figure out a way to bring you back… Don't leave the school grounds in the meantime. Come find me when you're hungry, and I'll give you food. Also, don't fight with other cats; you might get hurt."

The little Li Hua Cat raised its head proudly. Those cats wanted to hurt it? Impossible! Even if they were born eight hundred years earlier, those dumb cats wouldn't stand a chance against it!

Assured that the little cat had no objections, Chu Li began to wash its paws gently. The kitten felt so comfortable that it almost dozed off. It couldn't help but imagine how wonderful it would be if a bipedal creature gave it a bath.

Would they prepare a big plastic basin filled with water at just the right temperature? They would definitely add one of those bubbly balls that bipeds liked into the water. Once the bubbles overflowed the basin, they would place a little yellow rubber duck beside it. Then, the kitten could reluctantly tolerate such a bath.

Of course, a massage from the biped was a must.

The kitten became happier as it thought about it. It meowed at Chu Li, seemingly asking when he would take it home.

Chu Li: "…" Who could resist the soft meows of a kitten? Chu Li tapped the kitten's nose with his wet index finger. The kitten stuck out its pink tongue to lick it, accidentally brushing against the edge of Chu Li's finger.

A cat's tongue has tiny barbs that feel ticklish.

After thoroughly washing its four paws, Chu Li looked around. The sun had come out in the morning, and the ground was dry. However, if the kitten's wet paws touched the ground, his efforts would be in vain.

He asked the kitten, "Let me carry you to the basketball court. You can dry off there before going elsewhere."

The kitten meowed in agreement.

Chu Li picked up his belongings and took the kitten to the basketball court – though he always referred to it as such, they didn't actually play basketball there. To his surprise, Peng Zihao, whom he had just parted ways with, was present.

He froze on the spot. It wasn't intentional; he merely thought the court offered ample space and sunlight, with a rubber surface that wouldn't be spoiled if Li Hua Cat's paws weren't fully dry and it wanted to run around.

Why did he have to encounter someone he'd rather not see again?

Chu Li had no choice but to change his plans and take Li Hua Cat elsewhere.

Before he could turn away, he heard a whistle of teasing from behind, "Oh, look who it is! Our junior Chu Li, here to find Senior Peng, huh?"

"Did you rush over right after your meal? You don't have to be so obvious with your longing, hahaha..."

His words elicited laughter from the surrounding crowd, who all seemed eager to witness some drama. Chu Li felt extremely uncomfortable with this lack of boundaries, as he was an adult male from Earth and had never encountered such a situation. In that instant, he could empathize with the distress certain girls might experience.

Feeling that it would be difficult to clarify the situation without causing further misunderstandings, Chu Li raised his head and caught sight of Xu Dongfeng not too far away. He inwardly apologized to his friend, then looked in Xu Dongfeng's direction and called out, "Dongfeng, you're here."

Xu Dongfeng, who had already noticed the commotion from a distance, was hesitating whether to approach or not. Hearing Chu Li's call, he made up his mind and ran over.

Despite being a Beta, Xu Dongfeng wasn't much shorter than Peng Zihao, and he was surrounded by a large group of friends who arrived together, instantly dispersing the crowd that had been egging them on.

Chu Li gave him a smile. "Have you eaten?"

Xu Dongfeng replied, "Not yet."

Spotting the box lunches in Chu Li's hand, he asked, "You brought us food?"

"Mm..." Chu Li confirmed, "Shall we head back to the dorms?"

"Back," Xu Dongfeng replied succinctly, waving at his companions behind him. "Invite Lin Chengming along too. He seems to be cooped up in the lab again with his professor, he left at around three in the morning."

"Sure," Chu Li nodded. After that, he approached Peng Zihao.

Following this brief encounter, Peng Zihao's expression had turned grim.

Chu Li finally stood before him and said, "I didn't expect to find you here, what a coincidence. I'll be heading back with my roommate, excuse us."

His demeanor was casual, conveying to those around them that he wasn't there for Peng Zihao, so they shouldn't get the wrong idea.

Peng Zihao's expression darkened further. His cronies, unsure of the situation, dared not speak, only observing Peng Zihao's mood.

Unbothered by their reactions, Chu Li turned and walked away with Xu Dongfeng.

After a while, Xu Dongfeng couldn't resist asking, "Why were you hanging out with him?"

Chu Li paused briefly before answering, "A chance encounter."

He recounted the incident of getting lost on the first day of school, and after listening, Xu Dongfeng looked exasperated. "Are you perpetually lost? You've been living in the dorms for a year, and you still managed to get lost?"

Chu Li was instantly left speechless; he couldn't explain this situation.

Xu Dongfeng glanced again at the cat in his arms and asked, "Where did you get it?"

Chu Li: "..." He quickly let go, but the kitten refused to leave, holding onto his clothes and refusing to descend.

Worried that his clothes would be torn with large holes, Chu Li could only hold it again. "I found it on my way here."

Xu Dongfeng said, "If Ning Yue wasn't allergic to cat fur, we could've kept it in our dormitory. But since Ning Yue took a leave of absence to go home this morning, if you like it, you can keep it here for a couple of days. Just make sure to clean the room before he comes back."

Chu Li didn't expect such a pleasant surprise and hastily expressed his gratitude. "Thank you so much!"

"What for?" Xu Dongfeng was quite generous. "Roommates should help each other out."

Chu Li replied, "I should thank you, but I think I caused you a big problem today."

Xu Dongfeng asked, "What big problem?"

He quickly realized what Chu Li was referring to and frowned. "Peng Zihao? He's an Alpha. How did you two end up together? Just because you asked him to show you around?"

"Yes." Chu Li was also helpless. "It seems he misunderstood something."

"Hmph, that's how Alphas are. Although what Lin Chengming said earlier wasn't pleasant to hear, it's partly true in a way," Xu Dongfeng cleared his throat. "Anyway, given your special circumstances, it's best to be a bit more cautious if you have no interest in him."

"I will, thank you," Chu Li replied.

The little Li Hua Cat nestled in Chu Li's arms seemed to sense that the bipedal creature had landed in some trouble.

It was a little annoyed. Although this tiny body was adorable, it couldn't protect him from the storms.

Ah, wait a moment. It was a cat, not small... Could it ever be big?

With the kitten's puzzled gaze, they returned to the dormitory.

Opening the door, Xu Dongfeng said, "I'll go get Lin Chengming. You wait here."

"No problem, I've already had lunch," Chu Li told him.

Xu Dongfeng left, making sure to close the door behind him.

Chu Li placed the damp little kitten on a stool beside him and went to the bathroom to fetch a clean towel. After spreading it on the bed, he gently laid the kitten on it and whispered, "I hope you won't climb up and make yourself at home, huh? That won't work, you see. My roommate is allergic to cat fur, so I can't cause him any trouble."

The kitten meowed in response, seemingly unsure if it understood Chu Li's words.

Chu Li flipped it over, and it obediently showed its belly. The underside of the Li Hua Cat was also brownish-yellow, with one paw adorned with black markings like gloves. Chu Li picked up that paw and wiped it carefully. Although the pink, plump paw pads were adorable, the paw with the black markings looked particularly charming, almost dapper.

He couldn't resist giving it a gentle squeeze. As he applied a bit more pressure, the hidden sharp claws emerged. The kitten meowed, seemingly warning him not to touch its claws.

Chu Li couldn't help but laugh at his own overactive imagination. This cat was indeed affectionate, but if cats in this world hadn't undergone any mutations, it would just be an ordinary cat. How could it possibly understand his words or even worry about him getting scratched by its claws?

He covered the kitten's paws with the towel and wiped them vigorously.

After cleaning all four paws, he looked up to find the little Li Hua Cat licking one of its legs, moistening the freshly cleaned fur once again.

Chu Li: "..."

Amused yet exasperated, he grabbed the corners of the towel and wrapped the kitten inside, playfully kneading it.

The kitten was bewildered by the affectionate treatment and mewed in confusion from under the towel. "Meow? Waaah..."

The end of its whimpers were crushed by Chu Li's touch, fluctuating like a car driving on a bumpy road.

At that moment, the dormitory door opened, and Lin Chengming's boisterous voice echoed outside, "I heard Little Li is treating us to a meal? If you dragged me away from the lab and the food isn't good, I'll be upset, you know."

Upon hearing this, Chu Li released the Li Hua Cat, stood up, and chuckled. "It's just canteen food. If it's not good, you'll have to take it up with the chef."

Lin Chengming wrinkled his nose and said, "The kitchen meals are all cooked by those automatic stir-fry machines. Do you really think there's a real chef?"

But he was just joking. It didn't matter as long as there was food. Why bother being picky?

He walked over to the table, took out the lunch boxes, and in the process, noticed the cat sprawled on the towel. "Yours?"

Chu Li: "Mm... I just brought it back to wipe it down. I'll get rid of it right away."

Lin Chengming waved his hand. "No worries, I don't mind. Just make sure you send it away before Ning Yue comes back. Actually, it's fine even if you don't. His allergy isn't severe; he just sneezes a bit more."

The more understanding his roommates were, the more embarrassed Chu Li felt. He decided to send the Li Hua Cat away as soon as possible.

Lin Chengming casually mentioned during dinner, "Didn't you want to switch departments? The Healthcare Department is recruiting, and I heard they have ample dormitory space. If an Omega like you goes over, you'd definitely get a single room, making it easier for you to keep a cat. Would you like to give it a try?"

Healthcare Department?

Chu Li was genuinely interested. In his previous life, his prolonged illness had turned him into a self-taught medical expert, having spent years in hospitals and learned from the doctors he befriended. His theoretical knowledge about his condition surpassed that of ordinary hospital doctors.

But he wondered if the medical knowledge he acquired in his previous life would still be applicable in this world.

Upon hearing that Chu Li was still considering switching departments, Xu Dongfeng's expression turned complicated. "But aren't all Omegas in the Healthcare Department Betas? Alpha blood also contains pheromones. What if you encounter a severely injured Alpha? As an Omega, you wouldn't be able to handle it."

Lin Chengming dismissed the concern nonchalantly. "That's easily solved. Find an Alpha to permanently mark you, and you won't react to other Alphas' pheromones anymore."

Xu Dongfeng's eyebrows twitched. "Is that how you're supposed to use permanent marking?"

He then turned to Chu Li and said, "Don't listen to his nonsense. He's a Beta and doesn't understand the dynamics between AOs and their markings! You can't just find any Alpha to mark you just for the sake of switching departments."

Xu Dongfeng genuinely seemed worried that Chu Li might act impulsively. Chu Li chuckled awkwardly and couldn't resist the urge to touch the back of his neck. He had already been permanently marked, not even for the purpose of switching departments, but after a heat-driven encounter with someone unknown...

However, he hadn't expected such a benefit from a permanent mark. It seemed he couldn't wash it off anytime soon.

Before he arrived, he had studied the heat cycle of this body. If one didn't consider his disrupted pheromone disorder, his actual heat should occur in December, which was still half a year away. He had plenty of time to work with.

"Relax, I won't just let any Alpha mark me." That was because he was already marked.

Before Xu Dongfeng could fully sigh in relief, Chu Li asked, "What procedures do I need to go through for a transfer?"

Lin Chengming replied, "All you need to do is apply at the Academic Affairs Office. They'll give you a form to fill out, but... no Omega has ever entered the Nursing program, to be precise, no Omega has ever applied for it. If you were to genuinely apply, the approval process might not be that straightforward."

Chu Li said, "I'll give it a shot then."

It was better than staying in the Omega Academy.

Author's Note:

The content regarding medical treatment and healing is purely fictional. Please don't relate it to reality, as there are no ABO three genders in real life. No matter how much we try to connect it to reality, reality can't explain the concept of pheromones.