Chapter 49

Chapter 49

*Bang.* The bathroom door slammed shut with a deafening crash.

Li Yang’s vision blurred for a moment, then sharpened to reveal a face in disarray, close enough to touch. The man was disheveled, drenched in sweat, his eyes terrifyingly bloodshot, and his body radiating heat like a furnace. He was panting heavily.

The grip on Li Yang’s wrist was so strong it felt like it could snap at any moment. Abandoning the thought of immediately pulling away, Li Yang remained calm, staring into the man’s unfocused, vacant eyes.

“Let go. I’ll help you with a suppressant patch.”

The man didn’t move.

Li Yang’s gaze swept around. The vast bathroom held only the two of them.

This man was clearly a dangerous presence, capable of attacking him at any moment. He needed to escape quickly.

“You’re not an Omega?” The man regained a sliver of consciousness, disappointment flickering in his eyes regarding Li Yang’s gender. His grip on Li Yang’s hand loosened slightly, then tightened even more fiercely in an instant. “I don’t use suppressant patches. They don’t work on me.”

Li Yang said nothing, his eyes fixed on a mop not far away, calculating how many seconds it would take to knock the man unconscious.

“I need your help.” The Alpha was completely lost in his frenzy, utterly unaware of what he was doing or who stood before him. He was merely following instinct, seeking pheromones, desperate for solace.

Li Yang struggled, twisting his hand. An Alpha in rut was irritable and violent. Sensing his attempt to resist, the man’s fingers tightened instantly around Li Yang’s wrist bones.

“What do you want?” He glared at Li Yang, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes crimson, like a rabid lion ready to pounce and tear off someone’s head.

The skin on his wrist was being constantly squeezed by the bones, and pain spread. Li Yang frowned, his mind rapidly recalling everything about Alpha-Omega rut reactions.

He deliberately softened his tone: “You let go of me first. I won’t leave. I’ll stay here with you.”

Outside the door, silence reigned. There was no one there. Li Yang pursed his lips, realizing he could only rely on himself.

An Alpha deprived of pheromones had no patience whatsoever. He roughly yanked Li Yang closer.

The moment the man leaned in, Li Yang’s entire body tensed. Disgust and repulsion surged like a floodgate breaking, threatening to drown him.

He almost instinctively kicked the man’s shin, but the irrational Alpha was as unyielding as a wall of bronze and iron. The man opened his mouth, lunging for Li Yang’s neck.

The foul smell was now unavoidable. Li Yang’s eyes turned cold. Ignoring his trapped left hand, he forcefully pushed the man’s head away and slapped the suppressant patch across his eyes.

The next second, his fingers closed around the mop. Without hesitation, he raised it and swung it hard at the man’s head.

*Thud.* The heavy blow forced the Alpha to release him, clutching the spot where he’d been hit.

He lowered his hand, saw the crimson blood on his palm, and his eyes twitched uncontrollably.

The Alpha shook his head, his consciousness much clearer. He looked up at Li Yang, his expression a mix of anger and something else unidentifiable: “You dared to hit me?”

Li Yang, expressionless, delivered another blow, sending the strong-as-an-ox Alpha sprawling to the ground.

He let out a breath, looking at the man lying on the ground like a dead dog, suppressing the urge to grab him and thrash him around.

“You dared to hit me? You actually dared to hit me!” The Alpha’s face was twisted and distorted, the agitation and pain tormenting him to the point of wishing for death. He roared hoarsely, “I’m going to kill you!”

Pheromones, overwhelming and suffocating, permeated every corner of the bathroom. Li Yang couldn’t hold back anymore. One hand holding the mop, the other bracing against the wall, he gagged violently.

Before, pheromones were just unpleasant, making one feel nauseous.

During rut, the pheromones were a hundred times more intense. It was like being crammed into a sealed space, with the smell of various rotting fruits and sewer stench mixed together, assaulting his nasal passages.

Li Yang gagged until he was weak, the corners of his eyes red. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the man rip off the suppressant patch from his face, still trying to move. He shoved the mop into that disgusting face.

The world fell silent.

Ten minutes later, Li Yang rinsed his mouth and casually wiped the water from his face. He looked at the Alpha, who had been given a suppressor shot but was still extremely agitated, lying on the bed.

“Did you do that to his face?” The school doctor handed him a packet of tissues, gesturing for him to wipe his face dry. “Thank goodness you’re a Beta. If you were an Omega, the consequences would have been unimaginable.”

Li Yang took the tissues and thanked him. “Are his injuries serious?”

“Not really, he won’t die.” The school doctor shrugged indifferently, his tone full of praise for Li Yang. “In his state, you could’ve beaten him half to death and it would’ve been fine. It was self-defense, after all.”

“Do you want to land a few more punches now?” The school doctor nudged his chin, amusing himself. “He’ll wake up soon. If you don’t do it now, you won’t get another chance.”

“Forget it.” Li Yang had no interest, his gaze falling on his severely reddened, even scraped, wrist. “I’m out of energy.”

Those few mop swings had nearly thrown his back out. Now, his limbs felt weak, and he could barely stand.

He had expected to be disciplined for his actions, but it turned out there were no issues at all. If he had known, he would have stomped on him a few times in the bathroom.

“Let me put some medicine on you.” The school doctor took his hand, just about to disinfect it, when the infirmary door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

A boy walked in quickly, grabbed Li Yang’s shoulders, and looked him up and down. Only after confirming he wasn’t injured did the tension in his face slightly ease—until his gaze fixed on Li Yang’s crimson wrist.

The fair skin on his wrist was broken in several places, revealing reddish flesh, with tiny beads of blood oozing out.

An oppressive wave of pheromones instantly filled the entire infirmary. Li Yang, who had been feeling somewhat weak, suddenly felt much lighter and revived upon sensing the faint minty scent.

He grabbed Ying Xi’s arm to reassure him: “I’m fine. The one who’s in trouble is him. I knocked out one of his teeth.”

At this, Li Yang couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile: “They all say Alphas are the strongest, but I think Betas aren’t bad either.”

Ying Xi said nothing, looking up and briefly meeting Li Yang’s gaze.

His deep, dark eyes held an immeasurable chill, making his face appear cold and distant, and the chilling aura around him made it hard to breathe.

Li Yang felt his scalp tingle. He wanted to say something, but his mind went blank, leaving him to watch helplessly as Ying Xi’s expression grew even colder.

The school doctor was a Beta and couldn’t smell pheromones, but he still felt a slight shiver at Ying Xi’s displeased expression.

He swallowed hard, quickly disinfected and bandaged Li Yang’s wrist, then sat in a chair, acting like a transparent person to minimize his presence.

The Alpha lying on the bed was so suppressed that he was going crazy, constantly twisting on the bed, trying to drive away the other Alpha, but he was completely powerless, his face turning ashen and dark.

“Wait outside for me.” Ying Xi picked up a bandage from the table, carefully applied it to Li Yang’s wrist, then pushed him out of the infirmary, smiling as he instructed, “It’ll be quick, Yangyang.”

Li Yang looked up blankly, unable to process his words in time.

Ying Xi’s gaze fell on the water droplets still clinging to Li Yang’s face. He raised a hand and gently wiped them away. “Wait for me.”

“Okay…” Li Yang nodded. The infirmary door closed firmly.

He froze, looking down at the seven or eight bandages on his wrist, and heard the school doctor’s amused voice from behind the door.

“Are you going to hit him? I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”

A heart-wrenching scream echoed throughout the entire campus.

Students who heard the sound shivered, rubbing their arms.

“Is that the Alpha in rut? Who did it? He’s screaming so terribly.”

“…Ying Xi rushed out when he heard that Alpha was near a Beta. It’s probably him. Besides him, who else would dare to just attack like that?”

“I heard this Alpha knew he was in rut but still came to school pretending nothing was wrong. He totally deserved it.”

“That Beta knocked out one of his teeth. I wonder if that Beta will be punished.”

“The Beta you’re talking about—isn’t that the one with Ying Xi? If so, the only one who’ll be punished is that Alpha.”

“Anyway, there’s a good show to watch.”

Five minutes later, Ying Xi pulled open the infirmary door, smiling as he took Li Yang’s hand, completely devoid of his previous murderous aura.

“It’s over. Let’s go.”

Li Yang couldn’t help but look back.

Inside the infirmary, the school doctor was squatting on the ground, helping the Alpha, whose face was covered in blood, up, muttering, “Serves you right.”

He averted his gaze, noticing some bloodstains on Ying Xi’s hand, and pursed his lips.

Following Li Yang’s gaze, Ying Xi casually wiped it clean with a tissue.

As if recalling something, he asked in an unreadable tone, “Yangyang, what do you think about Alphas in rut?”

“Pretty terrifying,” Li Yang answered casually.

Turning from a normal person into a biting madman was not just terrifying, but also horrifying.

“Terrifying?” The Alpha’s frenzied, aggressive appearance flashed in his mind. Ying Xi repeated softly, “Indeed, quite terrifying.”

“I’m really fine.” Li Yang secretly observed him.

Ying Xi’s profile was cold. He lowered his eyelashes, concealing his emotions, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.

“That person just grabbed my hand. I don’t know if we’ll get into trouble for beating him up like that,” Li Yang said.

Ying Xi paused in his step, then smiled: “You won’t be in trouble, don’t worry.”

He paused slightly, the smile on his lips unchanged, yet his tone sounded awkward no matter how one listened: “Then, Yangyang, are you scared?”

Scared of what?

Li Yang tilted his head, guessing he was asking if he was afraid of facing an Alpha in rut.

“Scared.” Li Yang didn’t think much, pondering aloud, “That person was like a madman, completely irrational. Anyone would be scared, right?”

An Alpha in rut only thinks about marking others and is full of aggression. No one knows what might happen. The only thing one can do is stay away.

“Yes.” Ying Xi tightened his grip on Li Yang’s hand for a moment, his eyes darkening. He said nothing more, leading him back to the classroom.

The bandages on Li Yang’s wrist attracted countless stares.

Wen Yun cupped his face, screaming, “So that Beta was really you? Oh my god, you’re so unlucky. Look at these wounds, did that Alpha hit you?”

“No.” Li Yang sat down, pulling back the extra bandages to show Wen Yun. “Actually, it’s just a scratch. I was the one who kept hitting that Alpha, and I even knocked out his tooth.”

Wen Yun paused, then gave a thumbs-up with a wry smile: “That’s good. I thought you got the short end of the stick.”

Recalling Ying Xi’s murderous gaze in the infirmary, Li Yang thoughtfully looked back.

Ying Xi sat quietly in his seat, propping his chin on one hand, looking down at the desk, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, exuding an unapproachable aloofness.

He seemed a little strange.

Li Yang frowned slightly, unable to pinpoint what was strange. He assumed Ying Xi was overly worried about him, exhaled, and planned to explain thoroughly after class that he was fine.

“Did Ying Xi really do it?” Wen Yun whispered. “It’s all over the school that Ying Xi beat up that Alpha, and he got it bad.”

“He did,” Li Yang said softly. “I wonder if that Alpha will seek revenge when he comes to his senses.”

“Him?” Wen Yun scoffed. “Don’t worry, he wouldn’t dare. Not only wouldn’t he dare, he’ll come and apologize to you.”

Li Yang was startled: “Why?”

“Who told him to come to school while in rut? Everyone knows what he was thinking. People like that deserve to be beaten to death.” Wen Yun gnashed his teeth. “Good thing you weren’t affected. If you had been… he’d be dead meat.”

Li Yang recalled the school doctor’s words and nodded in understanding.

Wen Yun was right. As soon as class ended, the Alpha, whose face was beaten to a pulp, and his family arrived.

Li Yang initially thought they would question him about why he hit the Alpha. The moment he stepped out, the parents and the Alpha bowed in apology.

“We are truly sorry, student. We failed to control him, and he almost caused a huge mistake.” The parent apologized awkwardly. “Don’t worry, I will handle the transfer procedures. We are sorry for causing you distress.”

Li Yang was somewhat caught off guard. He glanced at the Alpha, whose head was bandaged like a mummy, and said nothing.

The other party’s eyes were filled with embarrassment and shame; he had probably regained his clear consciousness.

“I’m sorry,” the Alpha said, meeting Li Yang’s eyes.

When he spoke, his mouth opened too wide, pulling at his wounds. He immediately grimaced in pain, tears welling up, looking incredibly comical.

“I know I was wrong. It’s okay if you don’t forgive me. I won’t appear at school again.”

He paused, then looked past Li Yang at Ying Xi in the classroom, mumbling, “I’m really sorry. I lost consciousness at the time and had no idea what I was doing…”

Li Yang remained silent. Finally, the parent dragged the Alpha away, looking back repeatedly and apologizing as they left.

He turned and returned to the classroom, vaguely hearing the surrounding students discussing the matter.

“So, Alphas in rut are truly terrifying.”

“Yeah, I suggest all Alphas wear bite restraints for life.”

“Damn, aren’t you Omegas terrifying?”

“Why are you getting worked up? Alphas bite people randomly, Omegas don’t.”

“…”

The whispers escalated into a fierce argument, and the classroom quickly erupted into a verbal battle.

Li Yang ignored the noisy chatter and slowly stopped beside Ying Xi.

Seeing that Ying Xi seemed not to have noticed his arrival, still deep in thought, Li Yang couldn’t help but bend down and lean closer to Ying Xi.

“What have you been thinking about? You didn’t even notice I was here.”

The boy’s fair face appeared in his line of sight, his dark, shining eyes filled with a gentle smile.

Ying Xi raised a hand and lightly pinched his cheek: “Nothing much. Does your wrist still hurt?”

“It’s just a scratch, it doesn’t hurt anymore.” Li Yang rubbed his arm, unable to suppress a chuckle, “When I entered the classroom earlier, everyone saw so many bandages on my hand and thought I was seriously injured.”

Ying Xi looked up, gazing intently at Li Yang, then suddenly called out, “Yangyang.”

“Hmm?” Li Yang stood up confused, rubbing his aching back.

At first, he hadn’t felt anything, but now that he had calmed down, he realized his back was very sore, and even walking pulled at his muscles, making him uncomfortable everywhere.

Ying Xi said nothing. Li Yang lowered his hand, blinking in confusion: “What’s wrong?”

The boy looked at him gently. After a brief silence, his voice came out hoarse: “Yangyang, stay away from Alphas from now on.”