Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The words had barely left Li Yang’s mouth when he regretted them.

Whatever the answer, he couldn’t accept it.

If Ying Xi hadn’t grown tired of him—they’d remain inextricably linked.

If he had—it was what Li Yang wanted, yet it still felt inexplicably awkward.

The question felt too deliberate, like an insecure lover desperately seeking validation from their partner.

Ying Xi froze, his expression clearly asking, "Me?"

Li Yang forcibly averted his gaze, his limbs fidgeting, unable to find a comfortable position.

"No," Ying Xi replied stiffly. "I just wanted to maintain a healthy distance for a while. I was afraid I might..."

He didn’t finish, his eyes dark and unreadable, like undiluted ink.

Perhaps because they’d spent enough time together, Li Yang could discern that Ying Xi was struggling to find the right words to continue the conversation.

After a moment of silence, Li Yang sighed and stood up, thrusting the items back into Ying Xi’s arms. "You should take care of yourself. I don’t need all these tonics."

He patted his clothes, preparing to leave.

"Li Yang," Ying Xi called from behind, asking an odd question, "When do you think you’ll get married?"

"Who knows?" Li Yang answered without thinking. "Maybe soon."

In this world, Alphas influencing Omegas was commonplace—what madness couldn’t happen?

If he really had to face marriage after graduation, Li Yang thought indifferently: It didn’t matter. He’d just run away.

The world was vast enough—there had to be places where no one pressured you to marry.

Ying Xi fell silent, standing motionless as he stared at the bag in his arms, his impassive profile as cold and lifeless as a statue.

Faint sunlight broke through the clouds, casting a gentle glow on the boy’s icy, composed features.

His lips were slightly pursed, his sculpted jawline starkly visible, his deep-set eyes cold and distant, radiating an air of unapproachability.

It made one want to reach out and shatter that invisible barrier.

It took Li Yang a long moment to realize how absurd that thought was, his eyes widening slightly.

Why would he want to touch Ying Xi?

"I see," Ying Xi finally said, ending his contemplation. He stepped closer, still holding the bag, clearly intending to say more.

The wind tousled Li Yang’s hair, partially obscuring his vision. He hastily brushed it aside and turned away, walking with unnatural stiffness. "I’m heading back first."

His movements were awkward and clumsy, as if he were walking out of sync—until he looked down and realized his limbs were moving in perfect unison.

This ridiculous spectacle was undoubtedly witnessed by Ying Xi behind him.

Sure enough, a low, rumbling chuckle sounded from behind.

Li Yang’s knees nearly buckled, and he stumbled.

Spotting Wen Yun exiting the cafeteria, he called out loudly, "Wen Yun, wait for me!"

Wen Yun turned in confusion; before he could even focus, Li Yang rushed over, grabbing his arm and pulling him along.

"I can't walk right. Help me out."

"Huh?" Wen Yun blinked. "You can't walk right?"

His gaze drifted ahead, landing on Ying Xi not far away, and his mind raced. "Betas don't react to Alpha pheromones. Why are your legs weak?"

"I’m not weak," Li Yang mumbled, face burning. "I’m just awkward."

"Alright," Wen Yun said, supporting his arm before quickly letting go. "Don't want any misunderstandings. You should hold onto me instead."

Li Yang’s already sluggish brain glitched at his words. "What misunderstanding?"

"Ying Xi’s right behind us," Wen Yun explained. "If he thinks there’s something between us, it’d be bad."

Li Yang: "..."

The mention of Ying Xi behind them made walking even harder, and he ended up practically sprinting into the classroom.

Once seated, Li Yang collapsed onto the desk, his face pressed against the surface, zoning out.

After spending so long in this loony bin of a school, he was going crazy too.

This was a fictional world—not real. He couldn’t let himself get absorbed.

With that thought, he sat up and zeroed in on the novels in Wen Yun’s desk.

He’d never bothered to read them before. Maybe immersing himself in a few would clear his mind and reinforce his resolve.

"Wen Yun, lend me a novel," he said.

"Try this one. I just finished it—it’s good," Wen Yun said, casually pulling one out and handing it over.

The cover looked ordinary, the title reading *The Crazy Alpha*.

Something flickered in Li Yang’s mind, but before he could grasp it, Ying Xi walked in through the front door.

On reflex, he slapped his thermos over the book, inexplicably not wanting Ying Xi to know what he was reading.

But the attempt to hide it only drew more attention. As Ying Xi passed by, his gaze dropped to what was under the thermos, pausing slightly.

Li Yang followed his line of sight—perfect—the title was completely exposed.

To his horror, Ying Xi read it aloud with interest: "*The Crazy Alpha*?"

The room went dead silent. Li Yang froze like a statue, his brain wishing it could book a one-way ticket to Mars.

"Me?" Ying Xi inquired with genuine curiosity. When Li Yang didn’t answer, he turned to Wen Yun.

Wen Yun denied frantically, "No, no! It’s fiction. Made-up."

Ying Xi cocked his head, his eyes returning to Li Yang as he flashed a guileless smile. "You like this type?"

"What type?" Li Yang was temporarily mesmerized by that smile.

Ying Xi: "The crazy kind."

This was clearly some kind of misunderstanding.

Li Yang's eye twitched.

He turned the novel over to explain, only for a line of text on the back to catch his eye.

—A love-crazed Alpha and an insecure Beta—what kind of sparks will fly between them?

Li Yang: "..."

He covered the line with his hand and said expressionlessly, "It's just a novel. Don't read too much into it."

Ying Xi walked away without a word, but his retreating back made it obvious that overthinking was inevitable.

Wen Yun, who had witnessed everything, could pretty much guess what Ying Xi was thinking: "Do you think he assumed you deliberately picked this novel to read?"

"No idea." Li Yang rubbed his eyes, muttering vaguely, "Forget it, I won’t read it anymore."

He returned the novel and took his thermos to the water dispenser area.

Footsteps echoed—the water dispenser area was rarely used, so Li Yang instinctively thought it was Ying Xi. But when he looked up, he saw an unexpected face.

"Hello." He Shi smiled warmly. "I came for hot water."

Li Yang nodded and picked up his thermos to leave.

"What’s your relationship with Ying Xi?" He Shi pressed the button, like it was just small talk.

But the gaze that followed gave away how much he cared about the answer.

Li Yang countered instead of answering, "Why are you curious about my relationship with Ying Xi?"

A thought occurred to him, and his eyes shifted slightly. "Do you like Ying Xi?"

He Shi was startled by the question, his surprise obvious. He didn’t even notice the hot water overflowing from his cup.

Guess he doesn’t like Ying Xi—then why ask that?

Puzzled, Li Yang reached over to turn off the button, waiting for him to continue.

The overflowing water stopped, and the water dispenser area fell silent.

After a few seconds of hesitation, He Shi cut to the chase: "To be honest, I’m more interested in you than in Ying Xi."

This time, it was Li Yang’s turn to look stunned.

He didn’t engage further with He Shi, quickly leaving the water dispenser area with his thermos to end the conversation.

"Monitor." He Shi caught up to him, voice gentle. "Don’t be afraid. No offense meant."

Li Yang ignored him, only quickening his pace.

The first part might have been harmless, but what came next might not be.

Seeing Li Yang was determined to escape, He Shi hurriedly spoke up before losing his chance: "Monitor, if you don’t like Ying Xi, would you consider being with me?"

Li Yang: "Turn right downstairs—the infirmary is there."

He Shi chuckled. "I’m serious. I’m not joking."

As if piqued by curiosity, the fair-skinned teen paused. "What does whether I like Ying Xi have to do with being with you?"

He Shi admitted frankly, "If you like Ying Xi, there’s no point in saying the rest."

Li Yang had never been in a relationship, but he knew confessing feelings shouldn't sound so businesslike.

He motioned for He Shi to continue with his eyes.

"My family wants me to marry Jiang Su." He Shi tried to shrug casually. "I refuse, so I want to marry someone else to derail their plans."

"Why me?" Li Yang said. "I’m just a Beta. If you want to marry someone, shouldn’t it be an Alpha?"

"I don’t like Alphas, and you’re the only Beta in our class." He Shi’s smile became forced, but his eyes brightened, voice softening. "Monitor, don’t worry—I'd treat you right after we marry."

"No need." Li Yang hesitated before sighing. "I’m not interested in marriage. Try another Beta."

He Shi dropped his head in disappointment, speaking honestly: "But I don’t want to marry any other Beta—only you."

If he didn't know the situation, Li Yang might’ve thought this Omega genuinely liked him.

He Shi pressed on stubbornly: "Do I really have no chance? Or do you like Ying Xi?"

"..."

Back in the classroom, Li Yang immediately spotted the Alpha sitting by the window in the back row holding a novel.

Its title and cover matched the unread *Crazy Alpha* he had just returned.

His scalp tingling, Li Yang returned to his seat and asked Wen Yun, "Why does he have your novel?"

"He came to borrow it after you left." Wen Yun helplessly spread his hands, leaning in to whisper, "I couldn’t refuse. You didn’t see the look in his eyes—pure hunger for that novel."

Li Yang set down his thermos, catching Ying Xi’s focused expression as he read the novel.

Who knew what was in it. He should’ve read it first—what if Ying Xi imitated the protagonist? Just the thought was scary.

"By the way, why did you come back with He Shi?" Wen Yun yawned, watching as the person beside him made a strange face.

"What’s wrong?" He smirked, half-joking. "That expression—did He Shi just confess to you?"

Li Yang looked up but didn’t answer.

Wen Yun sat bolt upright in shock, automatically looking at Ying Xi. "No way. Was I actually right?"

At that moment, He Shi stood up and walked over to Li Yang’s side, smiling as he offered his phone.

The novel’s introduction was lengthy, but the first chapter jumped right in with a line that made your eyes widen.

"Your wife is about to run off with someone else."

His eye twitched like crazy, like a warning.

Ying Xi couldn't help but look up, noticing Li Yang's stiff posture and He Shi’s weirdly cheerful smile. He suddenly gripped the book tighter.