Chapter 15

Chapter 15

A restless heat, seemingly from nowhere, spread through him until his once-cold fingertips prickled with warmth.

Li Yang shook the water from his umbrella, tilting his head as he calmly distanced himself from Ying Xi.

He stopped only when a comfortable space opened between them.

"My bad, I'll be more careful next time," Ying Xi apologized, his gaze lingering on Li Yang’s slightly reddened fingertips.

The bus arrived, its screeching brakes shattering the unspoken tension between them.

Li Yang exhaled in relief. Without a word to Ying Xi, he quickly boarded and swiped his card.

Luckily, they snagged the last two side-by-side seats.

Li Yang took the inner seat, closing the window tightly to block any draft before settling in.

Ying Xi sat down a moment later.

Instantly, a clean, refined fragrance enveloped Li Yang. He instinctively wanted to cover his nose but stopped himself when he realized it wasn’t an unpleasant pheromone.

"Are you wearing cologne?" Li Yang frowned.

"No," Ying Xi paused. "Why?"

Instead of answering, Li Yang asked, "What do your pheromones smell like?"

Ying Xi thought for a moment. "Something like mint, maybe?"

Perhaps due to the power of suggestion, the scent grew more mint-like as time passed.

Li Yang didn’t dislike it. What intrigued him more was why Ying Xi’s pheromones no longer smelled offensive.

If not pheromones, then what?

Laundry detergent?

Possibly.

Li Yang dismissed the thought, but Ying Xi leaned in closer, took a subtle sniff, then straightened with a thoughtful expression.

"I wanted to ask—did you put on perfume?"

Li Yang was too bewildered to react to the sudden proximity. "What do you mean?"

"You have a really nice scent," Ying Xi mused, describing it precisely. "Like cake. Sweet."

"I'm a Beta," Li Yang reminded him tonelessly. "I don’t have pheromones. You’re mistaken."

Ying Xi didn’t argue.

He wasn’t wrong—he’d caught that scent several times, and it definitely came from Li Yang.

It was just faint, easy to miss unless he got close and paid attention.

The bus swayed its way to the school.

Ying Xi hadn’t brought an umbrella, and as they disembarked, he stared unblinkingly at Li Yang.

He didn’t say anything, but his meaning was clear.

Li Yang sighed and opened his umbrella. "You really shouldn’t take the bus next time."

"How come?" Ying Xi ducked under the umbrella and naturally took over holding it.

His height left plenty of room between the umbrella and their heads, where it had nearly brushed against them before.

Li Yang glanced up. "Buses aren't your scene. Stick to your car."

"The driver’s on leave," Ying Xi tilted the umbrella slightly, his voice low. "I’ve been feeling carsick lately. The bus is easier on me."

Li Yang, a longtime victim of bus sickness, gave him a dubious side-eye, not buying it for a second.

Buses were the worst for motion sickness, followed by certain cars.

The cars Ying Xi normally took were anything but nauseating.

Li Yang was grateful his new body didn’t get carsick—otherwise, daily commutes would require more than just a mask.

As they neared the school gates, Li Yang fished out a mask and put it on.

Ying Xi’s gaze followed his hands.

Expecting a question about the mask, Li Yang braced himself, but Ying Xi only glanced at him and said instead, "You look good in a mask too."

Li Yang: "...You can just not talk."

"Dead serious."

Under the transparent umbrella, the boy’s features were exquisitely defined—his complexion flawless, his eyes dark and clear.

The misty rain behind him made his gaze even deeper, as if hiding countless unspoken words, drawing one in unconsciously.

Li Yang looked away and replied flatly, "Yeah, right," still unconvinced.

With classes about to start and the rain intensifying, many students started hurrying.

Li Yang noticed someone barreling toward them from the side. Before he could react, a hand gripped his wrist, pulling him aside to avoid the splash of dirty water.

"What’s the hurry?!" someone nearby who hadn’t dodged in time yelled angrily. "Pay for my clothes!"

"Thanks," Li Yang said quietly.

"No need," Ying Xi let go of his wrist and gestured to the umbrella. "You lent me this. I haven’t thanked you yet."

"Then call it even," Li Yang nodded.

They entered the classroom in single file.

Li Yang placed the umbrella on the rack at the back.

The constant movement outside had warded off the chill, but the moment he sat down, he shuddered violently—his hands and feet were numb with cold. He hurriedly pulled his school blazer from his bag and put it on.

Five minutes later, the classroom heating came on.

As warmth gradually crept back into his limbs, Li Yang exhaled and worked his fingers.

The sky outside the window was gloomy, and the rain curtain thickened.

In the dim surroundings, the youth's slender, milky-white hands stood out strikingly.

As he moved, the faintly visible veins on the back of his hand flickered, stirring a desire to reach out and touch.

Li Yang stopped his movements, sensing an overly focused gaze beside him, and tilted his head to look.

"What's wrong?"

When their eyes locked, the emotions in Ying Xi's gaze were too complex to decipher.

He shook his head without speaking, only lowering his eyes with a faint smile.

Li Yang felt puzzled, but since Ying Xi had always been hard to read, he didn’t press further.

Wen Yun came in shaking out his umbrella, complaining as he entered, "Rain is bad enough, but now there's wind too. Just great."

The lower half of his body was almost completely soaked. He grabbed his sports clothes and headed to the locker room to change before returning to the classroom and sidling up to Li Yang’s desk.

"Li Yang, let’s have lunch together in the cafeteria."

The air was damp, carrying an unidentifiable odor.

Li Yang, wearing a mask, barely noticed it and wasn’t sure if it was coming from Wen Yun.

Beside him, Ying Xi’s expression shifted slightly as he shot Wen Yun a frosty sidelong glance.

Wen Yun scratched his head, confused by the look.

Ying Xi raised a hand to cover his nose and mouth. "You should go to the infirmary."

Wen Yun seemed to realize something, sniffed himself, and immediately shot up from his seat, bolting for the infirmary too fast to even throw out a thanks.

As the scent dissipated, Li Yang peeled down his mask for a breath of fresh air before putting it back on.

"Is he close to his heat cycle?"

Ying Xi gave a quiet "Mm" and looked at him, his gaze darkening as he released pheromones that quickly overpowered the lingering traces in the air.

A sharp, unpleasant odor hit Li Yang, overwhelming even the mask. His body trembled, his throat burned until his head swam.

The familiar sensation left no doubt—he slurred, "Why are you releasing pheromones?"

The moment he spoke, the scent cut off abruptly, replaced by Ying Xi’s puzzled voice. "How did you know I was releasing pheromones?"

Betas aren't supposed to detect pheromones at all.

As the choking sensation faded, Li Yang was still recovering. He opened the window and stuck his head out, only to find the hallway’s pheromones even more chaotic.

He was about to lose his mind. Weakly pushing the window shut, he tightened his mask and struggled to answer Ying Xi’s question. "I saw everyone else’s expressions change."

Li Yang paused. "Don’t release pheromones around me in the future."

He couldn’t explain properly, but fortunately, Ying Xi simply agreed without pressing further.

Wen Yun returned with a suppressant patch on the back of his neck.

"Sorry about that," he said awkwardly, standing beside Li Yang to apologize for earlier. "I’m a low-grade Omega, and my heat cycles are unpredictable. I didn’t expect it to be so soon."

"It’s fine." Li Yang asked, "How long do your heat cycles usually last?"

"Half a year or a full year." Wen Yun rubbed his nose uncomfortably. "My last one was a year ago, so I forgot this time."

Li Yang didn’t remember high-grade Omega heat cycles but feigned nonchalance as he said, "That’s definitely different from other Omegas."

"Yeah." Wen Yun nodded in agreement. "Unless there are special circumstances, normal Omegas and Alphas have theirs every three months."

Li Yang lowered his head slightly, dropping his voice. "I read online that Betas can have heat cycles too."

He wanted to test whether Wen Yun knew about Betas like him who could sense pheromones.

"Beta heat cycles?" Wen Yun looked utterly baffled, then recalled something. "I’ve never seen it, but it might be secondary sexual differentiation. I read about one case online where a Beta differentiated into an Alpha the second time."

Li Yang froze, slowly furrowing his brows.

Could his condition be secondary sexual differentiation?

The bell rang, and Wen Yun returned to his seat.

The original host had undergone testing at eighteen, with no signs of secondary sexual differentiation.

Li Yang propped his cheek on his hand, deciding to get retested at the hospital during lunch.

By chance, his eyes met Ying Xi’s. He self-consciously lowered his hand, unsure if Ying Xi had overheard their conversation.

Ying Xi asked, "Want to have lunch together?"

"I have something to do." Li Yang answered briefly. "Go ahead without me."

Ying Xi quietly agreed, unusually subdued.

Li Yang gave him a strange glance but found nothing unusual and looked away.

*

After the noon class ended, Li Yang politely declined Wen Yun’s invitation and took a taxi to the hospital.

The place was crowded, and he waited half an hour before it was his turn.

After the tests, Li Yang took the indecipherable report to the doctor.

"You’re a Beta, with no signs of secondary sexual differentiation," the white-coated doctor said, adjusting his glasses as he reviewed the report. "Did you experience something unusual that made you suspect secondary sexual differentiation?"

Li Yang shook his head. "I just came across online that it’s possible and wanted to check."

The doctor, used to patients dissatisfied with their results and returning for multiple tests, nodded and handed the report back.

Before leaving, Li Yang couldn’t resist asking, "What would cause a Beta to smell pheromones?"

The doctor explained, "It could mean the Beta is undergoing secondary sexual differentiation."

"How long does that stage last?"

"In abnormal cases, it’s usually confirmed within a week."

Since transmigrating over half a month ago, that possibility didn’t fit. Li Yang pressed, "Any other possibilities?"

The doctor paused meaningfully before continuing, "A testing error occurred. He might not be a Beta—perhaps a low-grade Omega."

All three tests showed Beta results, and since he had never experienced a heat cycle, it was impossible for him to be a defective Omega.

Li Yang sighed inwardly. It seemed he could only attribute this anomaly to the fact that this was a novel world, where such mutations were normal.

He pressed, "Is there still a possibility of differentiation after adulthood?"

The doctor smiled. "If no secondary differentiation was detected during the adult examination, there's pretty much zero chance."

Li Yang felt relieved.

Life as an Omega in this world sucked—it was much easier to remain a Beta.

He thanked the doctor with a smile and bought a stack of heavy-duty masks before leaving.

After eating a bowl of ramen near the school gate, Li Yang put on his new mask and entered the classroom.

Unfortunately, an all-out brawl was in progress.

Tables and chairs were smashed everywhere, and swearing exploded.

Only Wen Yun was the only one yelling, "Stop fighting! Calm down and talk it out!"

Thanks to the new mask, the reek of pheromones was significantly blocked, so he wasn't gagging anymore.

Li Yang had no intention of joining the fight. Holding his breath, he skirted around the commotion and returned to his seat.

The next second, Jiang Su was sent flying right at him by a punch from someone.

"Bang!" The wooden desk shattered as Jiang Su crashed into the splintered wood with a choked-out groan.

Li Yang tightened his grip on the mask, pushed his desk half a meter back, and pulled out a book. Just as he lowered his head to read two lines, his desk got yanked into the air.

The gust of wind blew his bangs upward. He pressed them down with his hand and watched helplessly as a bloody-faced Jiang Su hoisted his desk and slammed it down across the room.

Books from the drawer went flying everywhere, and screams erupted.

Amid the chaotic uproar, Li Yang closed his eyes briefly.

He really wished he could teleport into a game and borrow a "Hot Pepper" to blow up these endless, unhinged morons.