Chapter 2

Chapter 2

If the heavens had their favorites, then naturally there would also be those they disdained. Ji Qingyu felt he must have committed some unforgivable sin in a past life, incurring the wrath of the gods.

Ji Qingyu locked his phone screen and stood dazed for a few seconds until his thoughts were interrupted by the doctor. The doctor stood before him, politely addressing him, saying he had received word from Fu Han and was there to go over pre-operative instructions.

"An omega's gland is very fragile; it can only undergo glandular surgery once in a lifetime. Your gland has been in a swollen state for years, with hormonal imbalances, so recovery may be very slow."

Ji Qingyu thought that Fu Han probably intended to leave him to fend for himself. It seemed he had genuinely disgusted Fu Han back then, to the point where Fu Han didn't even want to mark him.

A few more entertainment news alerts popped up on his phone screen.

The comments section was almost entirely occupied by Ji Ran's fans, with visible paid commenters controlling the narrative. As a celebrity who had remained popular in the entertainment industry for five or six years, Ji Ran's influence among fans was not to be underestimated.

The top comment had tens of thousands of likes: "Ranran said it wasn't him getting married, it was his brother."

"Ranran is an only child, isn't he? Since when does he have a brother?"

"Seems like a love child..."

"Huh? A love child still dares to steal Ranran's things? What's wrong with him?"

He watched as fans and bystanders in the comments section heatedly discussed the situation. No matter how the story was framed, he was always cast as the malicious supporting character, while Fu Han was the lofty, revered moon. It seemed as though whoever possessed him held the key to defying fate and changing their destiny.

Yet, all of Ji Qingyu's misfortunes had begun from the day Fu Han bit his gland. If anyone had defied fate, it was Fu Han who had laid dry tinder on his destiny, only for Ji Ran to set it ablaze, reducing it to ashes.

Fu Han had always been a cruel and vengeful person. Back in high school, when his uncle had usurped his power within the family and he even failed to inherit the family legacy, it took only a few years for him to systematically bring his uncle down and take the top position himself.

He ruthlessly and bloodily ousted the old guard one by one, restructuring the entire conglomerate and firmly seizing control.

The media described him as an ambitious reformer, with far more people hating him than loving him. Over the years, Ji Qingyu often saw him in financial newspapers. Fu Han had changed greatly, no longer easily revealing his emotions.

Now, as the head of the Fu family, he was not only a renowned eligible bachelor but also the helmsman of a commercial empire worth tens of billions.

Ji Ran's fans initially celebrated noisily. It was only later that they learned Fu Han intended to marry someone else, and they quickly shifted their tone.

Vicious curses were hurled at Ji Qingyu all at once, like pebbles—individually harmless, but in large numbers, they could still wound. However, Ji Qingyu was thick-skinned and tough; he paid no mind to such insignificant words. The things he cared about had always been few: family came first, music second. Other things rarely truly upset him.

"Speaking of which, that love child is just taking Ranran’s leftovers."

"Ranran said he and his brother have a good relationship. How can someone with such a good relationship steal Ranran’s boyfriend?"

"What kind of sincerity can such a person have? He’s just scheming."

A good relationship? Ji Qingyu almost laughed at these words. Back in high school, their relationship had indeed been good. Ji Qingyu had never had many close friends growing up, so when Ji Ran suddenly approached him, he quickly offered his genuine friendship.

Looking back now, he realized how foolish he had been.

Ji Qingyu leaned against the hospital wall, his eyes still fixed on his mother's room. On days without classes, he could sit here all afternoon.

Lin Ying's eyes were closed, the white mist in her oxygen mask appearing and disappearing. Ji Qingyu blinked slowly, wishing desperately that she would wake up in the next second. She had been lying here for six years since developing brain cancer and suffering a stroke.

If she woke up, Ji Qingyu didn’t know how he would tell her about everything that had happened over the years.

He managed a weak smile for Lin Ying but couldn’t maintain it. He felt tired and lowered his head, his hair obscuring his vision. He closed his eyes and drifted off into a light sleep on the seat.

This floor was very quiet, with few people around.

Ji Qingyu couldn’t stop thinking about that friend request. He recalled the first time he met Fu Han. They were both young then, just in high school. Fu Han hadn’t yet learned to hide his emotions, and his innate arrogance and disdain for him were unmistakable.

It was the summer of their second year of high school, when they were eighteen and hormones were at their peak. The alphas could hardly suppress their tempers and always sought an outlet.

Unfortunately, Ji Qingyu became that easiest target.

In this prestigious school, Ji Qingyu was a specially enrolled scholarship student with no one to rely on.

He was also an omega—pretty, quick on his feet, and never knew how to yield. So the alphas not only noticed him but also enjoyed cornering him like a rabbit.

This time was no different from the others.

He was shoved into a weed-choked storage shed at the corner of the sports field. The leading alpha said with a smirk, "Your mom sells fish, right? Does your pheromones smell like fish too?"

"Hey, why not let it out for us to smell? Maybe if we’re in a good mood, we’ll let you go." The alphas laughed loudly, their eyes filled with a raw, ignorant desire.

His pheromones were of rain, not fish.

He clenched his teeth, his mouth shut tight, his expression alert and defiant. The alphas only laughed harder. "We heard you like singing little tunes. Quite a few alphas like you. How about singing one for us?"

Ji Qingyu lowered his head. This time, his luck was bad. He thought he’d have to run even faster next time.

"Ji Qingyu, know your station. Stop showing off and daydreaming," the alpha mocked.

A hand grabbed his hair and patted his cheek, then a basin of water was dumped over his head. The alpha looked down at him, savoring his disheveled state.

The water stank of spoiled fish and shrimp, pungent and foul. Ji Qingyu froze entirely. He felt like a crumpled, discarded piece of paper, thrown into the narrow, stuffy storage room. The door was locked from the outside.

The alphas called out to their friends, their laughter fading into the distance.

Enduring the stench, Ji Qingyu took off his backpack and pulled out the half-written score inside. Fortunately, it wasn’t wet.

Holding the notebook, his eyes brimmed with tears. He took a few breaths to steady himself. He had no phone, so he could only bang on the door and call for help: "Is anyone there?"

"Can someone please help?"

His breathing felt stifled, his chest tight from the taunts. Tears threatened to fall as he banged on the metal wall of the storage room, creating harsh, sharp echoes.

He didn’t know how long he knocked until he was exhausted, sweat dripping into his eyes. He was about to curl up in a corner to rest when suddenly, there was the sound of the lock turning at the door.

Click. Blinding light streamed in.

Ji Qingyu squinted, his body stiffening as he saw that handsome face.

The newcomer frowned, the lower half of his face covered by a mouth guard, his hair casually tousled, messy and effortless, with a sleepy, just-woken-up vibe.

He stood backlit in the doorway, his eyes deep and striking. One hand rested on the iron door—the lock had been snapped off.

Ji Qingyu felt his heart clench. The other was silent for two seconds before slowly and irritably uttering, "What are you making all that noise for?"

Ji Qingyu choked up, frozen in place, unsure whether to say thank you or sorry.

Fu Han stared at Ji Qingyu’s face, expressionless. After a moment, he raised a hand to cover his nose, his frown deepening.

"You..." Ji Qingyu wanted to say thank you, but before he could speak, the other had already turned and walked away without a second glance, as if he were some kind of source of contamination.

As if he couldn’t bear to stay another second.

That was their first meeting.

Ji Qingyu stared blankly at Fu Han’s receding figure—broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted, like a leopard lazily coiled to spring.

He was dazed, water droplets from his hair trickling onto his eyelids, blurring his vision. After a long moment, as if snapping out of a dream, he lifted his hand to sniff the fishy smell on his clothes, his ears burning red with humiliation.

If Fu Han was a bird soaring high in the sky, the apex of the high school food chain, then Ji Qingyu was nothing but a straggly weed on the roadside—trampled to death unnoticed when the bird descended to hunt.

After such a brief intersection, their paths should have diverged like two straight lines, growing farther apart with time.

But neither Ji Qingyu nor the group of alphas had anticipated that the storage room roof had recently become Fu Han’s chosen nap spot.

So, the next time Ji Qingyu was cornered, the alphas once again picked this place as the site for their bullying.

The alphas were making quite a racket.

This time, they didn’t bring stinky water—instead, they brought a live fish.

The fish’s scales were slippery, its tail thrashing left and right, struggling violently in the alpha’s hand; it looked rather bloody.

"I bought this specially for you. You still have a choice—let out your scent for us to smell, let us have a good time, and we’ll let you go."

They pinned him down forcefully, fingers yanking his hair like uprooting weeds, forcing his head down. The alphas were utterly brazen in front of Ji Qingyu, not even trying to hide their malice.

"Let me smell it, but you have to let go of me first."

The alpha sucked his teeth and snorted. "Should've been this obedient from the beginning."

"You’re too far away," Ji Qingyu said, his voice breathless. The alpha suddenly noticed how nice Ji Qingyu’s voice actually was. "Come closer, and I’ll let you smell."

Ji Qingyu was so nervous he could barely breathe, but he kept a straight face. After a moment of hesitation, the alpha walked over and bent down close to him.

Extremely uncomfortable, Ji Qingyu was nauseated by the rank scent of the alpha’s scent. When the alpha was at his closest, Ji Qingyu jerked his head up hard into the other’s nose.

Blood poured from the alpha’s nose. He let out a sharp cry, tears streaming from the pain as he bent over, clutching his nose.

Seizing the chance, Ji Qingyu tried to bolt, but his body lurched sideways. The alpha slammed him into the metal wall with a loud clang, the impact echoing sharply.

Enraged and humiliated, the alpha stepped closer, ordering the others to force his mouth open.

Ji Qingyu’s arms were pinned helplessly behind his back. He felt dizzy and lightheaded, perhaps from heatstroke. The fish drew nearer as the alphas gripped his jaw, immobilizing him.

Ji Qingyu was starting to break down. Fear crept up his spine, spreading throughout his entire body.

He struggled desperately, screaming for help. "Someone, please help me! Help!! Cough… help!!"

The alphas grew increasingly irritated. One of them punched Ji Qingyu in the stomach, leaving him choking, unable to speak. "Can’t you make this easier on us on such a hot day?" the alpha cursed under his breath.

Ji Qingyu panted heavily. The storage room door was ajar, sunlight casting long, glaring patches on the floor. A figure stood there, the figure’s face partially obscured by a grid-patterned muzzle.

A vague premonition rose in Ji Qingyu’s heart, making his chest tighten.

With a loud crash, the half-open door was thrown wide open. Fu Han stood there, holding a broken stool.

Ji Qingyu pressed his back hard against the wall, his heart pounding violently, almost leaping out of his chest.

The chair scraped across the floor with an unpleasant screech.

Fu Han growled a vicious warning. "If you don’t want to die, scram."

"F-Fu Han… We didn’t know you were here."

The alphas suddenly panicked, shrinking back like defeated wolves submitting to the pack alpha. Ji Qingyu could even hear their tense, heavy breathing.

So this was Fu Han.

Ji Qingyu had heard the name more than once.

Fu Han’s name was like a symbol of terror throughout the school—not just because of his influential family, but more so because of his aggressive and nasty disposition. Even among alphas, few dared to provoke him, to avoid endless retaliation.

Ji Qingyu’s eyes remained fixed on him. He shrank into the corner, hugging his arms, trying to shrink into himself.

Only the two of them were left in the room.

Fu Han walked over.

Ji Qingyu wanted to say thank you—after all, Fu Han had saved him twice. He lifted his head, about to speak, when Fu Han leaned in and sniffed his neck.

His entire body tensed, his breathing slowed. A mocking, disdainful voice sounded by his ear: "No fish smell on you today."

"...But still just as annoying."

Fu Han straightened up, stomped his foot on Ji Qingyu’s shoulder and shoving him down hard. The corner of his lips curled into a smirk, his voice returning to its cold, detached tone.

Ji Qingyu struggled to breathe, his blood running cold. He tried to push Fu Han’s foot away, but it didn’t budge.

Fu Han kicked at Ji Qingyu’s temple with the tip of his shoe.

"You didn’t think I came here specifically to save you, did you?" Fu Han grabbed Ji Qingyu by the neck, lifting him up and forcing him to meet his gaze. Those cold eyes reflected Ji Qingyu’s panicked face. If given a choice, Ji Qingyu would have rather eaten the fish earlier.

"You’ve disturbed my nap twice now. If you dare make a sound near here again, I’ll lock you in here for three days and three nights. You’ll die here, and no one will come to save you."

Ji Qingyu’s hands clutched at Fu Han’s wrist, begging him to let go. He was gradually losing breath, his toes barely touching the ground. For a moment, he felt like he was about to die.

"Do you understand? Nod if you do."

Ji Qingyu nodded laboriously but quickly.

"Now get out of here. Stay far away." Fu Han mercifully released him. Ji Qingyu gulped down the precious air, stumbling toward the door.

It felt like a distant, unreal dream. Ji Qingyu gripped his phone, and the doctor patted his shoulder.

"Mr. Ji, are you alright? You’re covered in sweat." Probably thinking Ji Qingyu was nervous about the surgery, the doctor reassured him, "There’s no need to worry too much. This is just a minor minimally invasive procedure. Gland surgery technology is very advanced now. Aside from the long recovery period, there’s nothing else to concern yourself with."

Ji Qingyu snapped out of his daze and smiled at the doctor.

The doctor sighed. "You young people really don’t take good care of yourselves. A permanent bond isn’t something to give away so lightly. Let’s go, Mr. Ji. It’s too late for regrets now. It’s time for your pre-surgery check-up."

So Ji Qingyu stood up and hit 'Accept'.

Fu Han had nothing to say to him—which was expected.

Ji Qingyu didn’t speak either, wordlessly tucking his phone back into his pocket and following the doctor.