Chapter 26: Knocked Out

Chapter 26: Knocked Out

Lately, Song Yuqing had resumed resistance training with Pei Huai.

His resistance to alpha psychic powers had been gradually improving. After one session, Song Yuqing casually asked, "Did you apologize?"

"I did," Pei Huai replied, then added, "But my apology is ongoing."

"My apology surprised them," Pei Huai said, his tone slightly awkward, yet grateful that Song Yuqing was finally speaking to him again.

Even if the conversation was indirect, he still wanted to talk to Song Yuqing.

Song Yuqing: "..."

You dog, you're such a dog.

Song Yuqing couldn’t help but curse at Pei Huai. "You bastard."

Pei Huai didn’t mind being scolded—what did it matter if Song Yuqing cursed at him a few times?

It was his own fault anyway.

Song Yuqing had said that if you make a mistake, you should admit it—and he had.

After cursing Pei Huai, Song Yuqing kept a cold expression, his face pale, and first wiped his fingers with a wet wipe.

Pei Huai’s gaze followed Song Yuqing’s movements—the sharp bones of his fingers slowly wrapped and cleaned by the tissue.

He wanted to reach out and wipe them for him, but as soon as he moved his hand, Song Yuqing shot him a warning look.

Then, Song Yuqing used the wet wipe to clean the dirt from his face and reminded Pei Huai, "Keep apologizing."

Pei Huai moved closer, watching him wipe his face.

To him, Song Yuqing looked like a kitten washing its face—gentle, elegant, and adorable.

A beautiful, long-haired cat with a cleanliness obsession.

Song Yuqing’s hair had grown longer, soft strands falling gently, slightly covering his refined features. His lips were pink, and with every breath came a faint, elusive fragrance.

Like a distant, aristocratic young master—one who would coldly call alphas dogs, believing none were worthy of him, not even worth a glance.

Pei Huai couldn’t help staring a little longer before murmuring, "I know. I also mentioned that you were the one who told me to apologize."

"You’re too deliberate, so awkward," Song Yuqing said flatly.

Being called awkward by Song Yuqing, Pei Huai’s lips curled slightly, his brows lifting in quiet delight.

He took the used wet wipe from Song Yuqing and said, "Then teach me how not to be clumsy."

"Teach me how to rally support for you. You want that position, don’t you?"

Song Yuqing: "First, create internal discord among them. Find a group I can use, then create a common enemy. That will make the group I can utilize exceptionally united."

Song Yuqing explained the strategy in detail. Pei Huai felt someone was about to be in deep trouble and smiled. "Got it. I’ll do it."

It amounted to turning all of Song Yuqing’s competitors into enemies. Pei Huai stayed up all night digging up dirt on the two of them.

Xiao Jinshi had once thrown boiling water onto someone’s hand for staining his clothes—all while smiling. At Ye Siling’s private party, Ye Siling coldly watched elites bully a lower-class student, driving the person to jump from the second floor in humiliation, resulting in disability and withdrawal.

Pei Huai even dug up his own past acts of trampling others.

He conveniently included Song Yuqing’s group fight incident as well.

By implicating everyone, it wasn’t about directly defending Song Yuqing, but prompting others to draw comparisons and speak up for him instead.

All of this was compiled into a post titled "Exposing the Dark Histories of the Student Council President Candidates," complete with photographic evidence.

1L: It’s all coming back now. So these are the people running for president? Each one of them... yikes.

4L: There’s always privilege above privilege. Even though I’m from a noble family, if I ever offend Xiao Jinshi, I’d be finished too, right?

8L: Let’s be clear—Qingqing was acting in self-defense. What kind of person includes Qingqing in this?

16L: I’d rather have Song Yuqing take the position than let the other three old-blood nobles rise. At least Song Yuqing doesn’t bully others.

26L: I support "my wife" for president. If "my wife" could slap me and even step on my little penguin, I’d be willing too.

Pei Huai: "..."

"Your wife"? Stop barking.

You’re ugly, but you dream big.

That’s Qi Zhengqing’s wife.

Pei Huai’s post thrust three people—including himself—into the center of public scrutiny.

Xiao Jinshi was disdainful—filthy commoners. That commoner dirtied his clothes first, and now they dared expose him?

Ye Siling was also thrust into the spotlight, but remained unmoved upon seeing the news. He didn’t understand why he should care about who bullied whom—he’d find it dirty if their blood splattered on his shoes.

Disgusting. Such pathetic resilience, jumping to their death and leaving behind so much controversy.

He could voluntarily give up the student council presidency, but he wouldn’t let others take the opportunity from him through a smear campaign.

Otherwise, where would the honor of the Ye family stand?

Song Yuqing’s lab request for Building 3 was also approved.

Lately, aside from livestreaming problem-solving sessions at night, Song Yuqing had been grinding through the textbooks assigned by Gu Jingtang.

The student council election was still in full swing. Xiao Jinshi, Ye Siling, and even Pei Huai were all trying to control the narrative around themselves.

The situation no longer required Song Yuqing’s direct intervention. The more Xiao Jinshi and Ye Siling tried to manipulate public opinion, the more they reinforced their privileged image in students’ eyes, fueling rebellion.

Before, there was no choice but to pick the biggest hypocrite among the nobles, Tan Shu. Now, there was Song Yuqing as an alternative.

Ideas long suppressed were slowly catching fire.

After fully absorbing the book’s content, Song Yuqing sent a message to Pei Huai.

T-T: "Give me some of your pheromones."

I Heart the Moon: "?"

I Heart the Moon: "Are you in the lab? I’ll be right there."

After messaging Pei Huai, Song Yuqing also sent a message to his cheap "son" (an affectionate term for his junior): If you can find pheromones from alphas of various ranks, collect samples.

Song Yuqing prepared disposable tools for pheromone extraction, preparing several samples.

88: "..."

*Who knows how many victims there'll be today.*

Pei Huai and Qi Ran are definitely not getting out of it.

It was Pei Huai’s first time visiting Song Yuqing’s lab dedicated to pheromone research. In the bright, clean laboratory, Song Yuqing sat in a chair, paging through a book.

The Beta’s slender wrist resting against his cheek, dark strands falling softly, making his face and hands appear even more dazzlingly pale.

Sunlight seemed especially fond of the beauty—his eyelashes shimmered with light, strands of hair partially veiling his profile, half-concealed like someone shyly holding a pipa before their face.

Slender, pale, and cool and detached.

Pei Huai walked in. "I’m here."

Song Yuqing glanced up, shooting Pei Huai a glance. "Hm."

"Sit down."

Pei Huai didn’t sit immediately, instead looking at Song Yuqing with a mix of anticipation and uncertainty. "Do you really want my pheromones?"

Whether for Alphas or Omegas, pheromones are extremely personal.

They’re meant only for one’s partner.

Of course, society is very unfair to Omegas—Alphas can mark many Omegas, but an Omega can only be marked by one Alpha and is expected to remain chaste for their Alpha due to pheromonal influence.

Repeated marking brings immense suffering to Omegas.

This means the cost of betrayal is high for Omegas, while Alphas are guided solely by their impulses and morals.

But few Alphas in this world have morals or remain loyal to their partners.

Pei Huai understood this, but if Song Yuqing wanted his pheromones and was willing to be marked by him, he would be forever loyal to Song Yuqing, forever yield to him.

Song Yuqing: "Hm, sit down."

Pei Huai’s heart hammered wildly, his head spinning a little.

*So he really was becoming the side piece—Song Yuqing wasn’t getting a divorce, so he could only be the side piece.*

*Being the side piece was fine too.*

*After all, Song Yuqing was a Beta and couldn’t be marked by an Alpha. He just had to keep it discreet and not let Qi Zhengqing find out.*

"Qingqing, can we not have children in the future?"

Song Yuqing had already turned to set up the equipment, his mind calculating. A normal Alpha could yield 20ml of pheromones, but the book also said that higher-level Alphas accumulate pheromones quickly.

Not releasing them for a long time could be harmful to the body.

There were many ways to release them, but many Alphas chose sex, tormenting their partners.

If not released, the rut would be doubly painful.

*Then he should take at least 40ml from Pei Huai—he was doing Pei Huai a solid; Pei Huai should be thanking him.*

88: "..."

*Song Qingqing, you...*

*Whatever, Song Yuqing was already immersed in his calculations.*

Pei Huai was nervous: "What do you think?"

Song Yuqing, his mind full of how much pheromone to extract, hadn’t paid attention to what Pei Huai just said, and nodded. "Fine."

Pei Huai let out a sigh of relief. It was better if he and Qingqing didn’t have children—otherwise, if a child was born and Qi Zhengqing discovered it was his and Song Yuqing’s bastard, Qi Zhengqing would definitely raise hell.

If Qi Zhengqing raised hell, Song Yuqing might even cut him off completely.

Song Yuqing: "Come here."

Pei Huai walked behind Song Yuqing, slipped a hair tie off his wrist, and bent down to put Song Yuqing’s hair up in a small bun.

After doing this, the Alpha’s nerves still hadn’t settled. He averted his gaze slightly, too shy to look at Song Yuqing’s gland, though he’d seen it before—this time was different.

"I..."

"Don’t be afraid, I’ll be gentle..."

It was the Alpha’s first time doing something like this, but the eager Alpha wanted to soothe his Beta as much as possible. "Qingqing, relax a little."

"If needed, I can let out a bit of pheromone first to help you get used to it."

Hearing this, Song Yuqing finally gave Pei Huai a reaction. "Don’t release any, give it all to me."

*Don’t waste it—if there’s a lot of pheromone, just draw more for me.*

Pei Huai flushed from his neck to the tips of his ears. *Give it all to Song Yuqing? All of it?*

Pei Huai feigned casualness. "That’s fine too."

"It’s just my pheromones might be a bit much, I’m afraid you..."

Song Yuqing’s eyes lit up slightly. He tilted his head gently, his hair brushing against his pale collarbone, and coolly reassured him, "Don’t be afraid of me."

Pei Huai was even more captivated. This version of Song Yuqing was also his first time seeing—expression cold, but eyes seemingly glowing, vivid and alive.

The Alpha’s chest burned with restless heat, his voice hoarse. "Okay."

Just as Pei Huai was about to embrace Song Yuqing, to offer some comfort before marking him, Song Yuqing pushed him into the chair.

Pei Huai: "?"

Song Yuqing snapped on rubber gloves. "Don’t move, I’ll do it."

*Song Yuqing would do it? Offer his own neck close for him to bite?*

*Or...*

*Impossible.*

There are many ways for Alpha pheromones to enter a Beta or Omega’s body—direct injection into the gland via marking.

Or through kissing—Alpha and Omega saliva also contains trace amounts of pheromones; kissing allows fluid exchange to obtain trace amounts of pheromones.

But...

When Song Yuqing said "all," that could only mean directly...

"Have you thought it through? If you do this, you can't regret it." Pei Huai looked up at Song Yuqing.

Once they reached that point, he wouldn't let Song Yuqing go again.

Even if he had to be the third party, he wouldn't be so meek, bowing and scraping in front of Qi Zhengqing.

After all, he was Song Yuqing's first Alpha.

He wasn't any worse than Qi Zhengqing; in fact, he was even younger than him.

A high school Alpha is tougher than diamond—it's only right for Song Yuqing to choose him over some old man.

A trace of unyielding resolve colored Pei Huai's defiant expression. "If you do this, you'll have to be responsible for me."

But afraid of annoying Song Yuqing, he immediately followed up, "Is that okay? I don't feel secure—give me a little sense of security."

Song Yuqing nodded, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, he'd take responsibility for Pei Huai. If anything happened, he'd send Pei Huai to the hospital.

"You're talking a lot today," Song Yuqing said, slightly displeased. "Stop talking."

Pei Huai fell silent, waiting for Song Yuqing to take the initiative.

Song Yuqing pressed his fingers against Pei Huai's scent gland, recording its condition before extracting the sample.

The gland was slightly congested, color normal, and the gland itself was somewhat enlarged.

Pei Huai couldn't quite endure it.

Song Yuqing added, the gland is sensitive.

After finishing the records and setting the form aside, he thought about it and decided to stimulate Pei Huai's pheromones to the maximum. "If you can't take it, tell me."

Pei Huai: "?"

Shouldn't that be my line?

But if Qingqing was doing it himself, Qingqing would probably control the pace, slowing down to rest when he couldn't take it before continuing.

With a cold expression, he continued, hands braced on Pei Huai's waist, breathing deeply and slowly.

He wouldn't even let Pei Huai look at him, yet his own amber eyes would grow glazed, his pupils losing focus, becoming somewhat unfocused.

Pei Huai would definitely steal a glance at Song Yuqing, watching him like a pristine patch of fresh snow slowly melting.

Thinking this, Pei Huai felt a sharp pain in his scent gland.

Out of concern, Song Yuqing asked the Alpha, "Does it hurt?"

The liquid-state pheromones in the transparent tube were separated by hemolysis, flowing into a low-temperature storage container.

All the erotic fantasies Pei Huai had just imagined were abruptly shattered.

Pei Huai was silent for two seconds.

So it really was about extracting pheromones. "All" meant extracting all of it, like this.

Pei Huai: "...It doesn't hurt."

Song Yuqing: "Mhm, then I'll continue extracting. If you can't hold on, tell me, and I'll stop."

Pei Huai hung his head, his voice muffled. "I can handle it. Go ahead."

Song Yuqing extracted 20 mL and asked Pei Huai, "Can I take more?"

Pei Huai: "Take it."

He extracted another 20 mL and asked again, "Can I take more?"

Pei Huai said expressionlessly, "Take it."

Another 20 mL, and he asked again, "I..."

Pei Huai: "Take it."

Song Yuqing: "Mhm, if you can't take it, tell me."

His clear voice held a barely noticeable hint of excitement, very faint, like the tiny upturn at the corner of Song Yuqing's lips when he was happy.

Even if Pei Huai didn't want to admit it, he had to believe that Song Yuqing's mind was only focused on the desire to sample Alpha pheromones, with no need for him at all.

Whatever, as long as Song Qingqing is happy. Song Qingqing really is unwavering.

Pei Huai thought coldly, and under Song Yuqing's repeated "If you can't take it, I'll stop," he silently endured without a word as 240 mL of pheromones were extracted.

He passed out from the procedure.

88: "You drew too much from him until he passed out, Qingqing."

Song Yuqing: "..."

Song Yuqing was feeling a little light-headed too. He passed out just like that?

"I see."

Really... he never intended to drain Pei Huai until he passed out.

Song Yuqing secured the samples and prepared to take Pei Huai to the hospital when Qi Ran arrived. "Song Yuqing, I..."

Song Yuqing instructed Qi Ran, "I'm taking Pei Huai to the school hospital first. Wait for me to come back."

Qi Ran stared at Pei Huai, who was collapsed over the table like a dead weight, a flicker of gloom in his eyes.

"What happened to him?"

Song Yuqing: "He had too much pheromone extracted and passed out."

Song Yuqing was saturated with the scent of a top-tier Alpha; the smell of gunpowder was unpleasant and would repel other Alphas.

The dominant pheromones also asserted dominance, telling other Alphas that this was his Beta.

Qi Ran glanced at the Alpha lying like a dead weight, walked up to Song Yuqing, and handed him a tissue. "Wipe your hands. His condition isn't serious; Alphas can faint from pheromone depletion."

"I often black out from overexertion and pheromone release during drills."

"If you're in a hurry, I'll take him."

Just as expected, Song Yuqing's attention was briefly diverted by Qi Ran, and he asked about his condition, "What happened? You should go to the hospital for a check-up. Don't overdo it with the training."

Qi Ran: "I'm fine, it doesn't hurt."

Song Yuqing: "..."

Such a brat, so good at making trouble.

All talk and no skill.

Song Yuqing: "Then go back. I asked you here to get a sample of your pheromones. If you’re not feeling well, you should rest properly."

Qi Ran: "..."

He felt like he had shot himself in the foot.

Qi Ran: "It’s not that bad. I can do it, Song Yuqing. I can. You can have my pheromones."

Song Yuqing looked at Qi Ran skeptically, "Are you sure you’re up for it again?"

Qi Ran’s tone was urgent, "I am. Pei Huai isn’t in a hurry anyway. It's not like he's going to die."

Song Yuqing: "Alright then, sit down."

The same procedure, the same examination. When Song Yuqing pressed on Qi Ran’s gland, Qi Ran’s voice turned husky, "Did you examine Pei Huai like this too?"

Song Yuqing replied: "It's standard procedure. It's always the same."

Every time, Song Yuqing would do this to Pei Huai, to him, and to other alphas.

His little dad was always so serious, making people lose their composure.

Song Yuqing took a 20 mL sample. Qi Ran asked proactively, "Is that enough? I can provide more."

"How much did Pei Huai give? I can give the same amount."

Song Yuqing wiped Qi Ran’s gland with a cotton ball and replied indifferently, "No need. You're in much worse shape. This is enough."

No need. He could just take more from Pei Huai—consider it payback.

88: "..."

88: "Qingqing, you still haven’t forgiven him?"

Song Qingqing’s capacity for holding grudges was truly astonishing.

Song Yuqing: "It depends on how Pei Huai behaves in the future."

Qi Ran lowered his head, a shadow flickering in his eyes. He couldn’t do it, but Pei Huai could.

But he had been working hard to improve his mental strength.

Would Song Yuqing eventually choose Pei Huai and tell him he was too weak?

Qi Zhengqing was one thing, but what right did Pei Huai have?

Song Yuqing: "Alright, take Pei Huai to the hospital. Don't dump him on the side of the road."

"Are you worried about him? Are you afraid I’ll harm him? Do you…" have feelings for an alpha like Pei Huai?

Qi Ran’s voice trembled slightly as he looked up at Song Yuqing, his eyes red.

But the beta remained cold and detached, unmoved.

At such a close distance, he could clearly see Song Yuqing’s slender waist, perfectly curved and enticing, his pale lips that seemed made for kissing, and the striking red on his earlobes.

His little dad was captivatingly beautiful in every way.

Even in a white lab coat, he exuded an aloof, ethereal charm that was impossible to ignore.

But now, Song Yuqing was covered in the scent of another alpha, telling him to behave.

Beneath Song Yuqing’s long eyelashes, his clear eyes reflected calmness and indifference.

His voice was cold as he questioned him.

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

Author’s Note:

Qingqing: Just a billion points of pheromones, thanks.