Li Xia might not be much in character, but her combat skills were definitely ranked among the top at Yicheng No. 1 High.
Chen Lan had always disliked her. Usually, whenever they ran into each other, she’d throw some sarcastic remarks her way, and sometimes, when her temper flared, she’d drag the other straight to the stairwell and start throwing punches.
Even though she often came out on top, she’d also taken her fair share of hits from Li Xia.
So when Chen Lan heard Bai Long say she’d beaten Li Xia so badly she ended up in the infirmary, she was stunned for a long moment before she could respond.
“Wait—for real? You beat her up? And sent her to the infirmary?!”
“Yes. Really.”
To be honest, Bai Long had been a little dazed at first too. Initially, she thought since the other wasn’t letting her leave anyway, she might as well go all out and fight back.
It was only after Li Xia was lying on the ground, unable to get up, that Bai Long slowly realized just how much her strength had increased.
“I was waiting for you at the stairwell, but you didn’t show. Instead, I ran into her smoking there. She tried to start trouble and wouldn’t let me leave. I figured since I’d enhanced, even if I couldn’t win, at least I could find an opening to slip away.”
As she spoke, she zipped up her jacket.
A faint, sweet strawberry scent lingered around her, and she looked completely calm and peaceful—
Nothing at all like someone who had just been in a fight.
What surprised Chen Lan wasn’t just that Bai Long had beaten Li Xia—it was that she hadn’t even gotten a scratch, not even a wrinkle on her clothes.
“…Damn, Lao Bai. You really are a fierce Alpha now. I might have to start calling you big sister.”
“It’s not that exaggerated. The main reason I won against Li Xia was because her mental energy level is too low. She was completely suppressed by my pheromones. If we were only comparing physical ability, I wouldn’t stand a chance against you, let alone get away from her safely today.”
She chuckled, but even her tone carried a noticeable sense of satisfaction.
Back then, Bai Long had been cornered by Li Xia and wasn’t allowed to leave. The flame from the lighter was about to scorch her skin.
An Alpha’s instinct made her release pheromones when she sensed danger—and just a hint was enough to make Li Xia’s legs go weak, dropping her to the ground with a thump.
Bai Long was no saint. Li Xia had given her trouble too many times before.
So she didn’t hold back much, avoiding vital areas but making sure to teach her a solid lesson in return.
“Ha, who cares if it’s mental energy or physical strength? As long as you’ve gotten stronger, that’s what matters. Now nobody will dare mess with you when I’m not around.”
Chen Lan was genuinely happy for her friend’s improvement, but that joy didn’t last long before she suddenly realized something.
“Wait, if you beat Li Xia up, fine—but why did you have to call the teacher over? Doesn’t that just make it easier for that bitch to snitch?”
“Don’t worry about that. Li Xia cares way too much about face. She felt embarrassed enough after you beat her—getting beaten by me and ending up in the infirmary is way more humiliating. There’s no way she’d admit it.”
Bai Long reassured Chen Lan with that explanation, then gently patted her shoulder.
“Relax. She’s more likely to come to me begging to keep it quiet than to report it.”
When they returned to the classroom, there were still five minutes until class started. Seeing she had some time, Bai Long decided to catch up on the notes she’d missed over the past few days.
She had just pulled out the notebook Shen Zhi had given her from under her desk.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the boy heading toward her.
Bai Long paused, pen in hand. Watching the classmates trickling back from the playground, she recalled what Chen Lan had said earlier. After a brief hesitation, she carefully chose her words.
“Did you come to get the notebook back? I still have some parts left to copy. Would it be okay if I gave it back to you at noon?”
“No, no, it’s fine—no rush. Take your time. I’m not in a hurry to use it.”
“I didn’t come to get the notebook. I was actually looking for you right after the morning run ended, but you weren’t here.”
Shen Zhi wasn’t just the class monitor—he also served as the class culture and arts representative.
He noticed the curious glances from nearby classmates and understood Bai Long’s tendency to keep some distance.
So he didn’t beat around the bush. He handed a slip of paper to her.
“What’s this?”
“Do you remember the role you signed up for in the stage play before you were hospitalized? Teacher Lin, who’s in charge of the program, asked me to let you know to come to the lecture hall during the midday self-study period for an audition. She said the role suits your image well, and if your acting is up to par, it’s pretty much yours for sure.”
Bai Long had almost forgotten about it. When she first transmigrated, her body was too weak to handle multiple part-time jobs, so she kept only the café gig and quit the others.
But quitting meant her living expenses would fall short. So when she saw the stage play casting notice on the bulletin board—specifically mentioning that one role was for an Alpha—she paid attention.
The role had little screen time and almost no lines—it was essentially a walk-on part. Most Alphas considered it beneath them and weren’t interested.
Bai Long didn’t care about that. At the time, she was strapped for cash, and seeing that passing the audition came with a meal card worth five hundred, she filled out the application form without a second thought.
Even though she wasn’t in urgent need of money now… who would turn down extra cash?
With that in mind, Bai Long gave a slight nod and took the slip the boy handed her.
“Got it. Thank you. I’ll go audition during the midday self-study period.”
Shen Zhi stood right in front of her. When reaching out to pass her the slip, Bai Long carefully avoided his hand.
She wasn’t sure why, but the sight of the boy’s slender, pale fingers suddenly brought to mind the image of Lu Yue’s hand gripping the bedsheet.
The man’s hand had larger, more defined knuckles than Shen Zhi’s—tense with effort, veins standing out on the back, fingertips tinged with a delicate shade of pink.
“Is something wrong? Is there anything else you’re unsure about?”
“…No.”
Shen Zhi could tell Bai Long was preoccupied, so he didn’t press further. He simply curved his eyes into a sweet smile.
“As long as everything’s fine. You can always ask me if you have any questions. I won’t disturb you further—you can keep copying your notes.”
“Mm.”
Bai Long’s eyes flickered slightly. Her usually well-controlled pheromones showed a faint, almost imperceptible hint of leaking out.
Thankfully, she held them back. It was only after Shen Zhi left that she managed to pull herself together a little.
“Hey, what’s up with you? Do you realize who you were just talking to? That’s the dream Omega for every Alpha at this school. The little sun himself comes over to kindly remind you about the audition, and you’re zoning out?”
“Ugh, it’s so unfair. If he ever came to talk to me on his own, I’d be laughing in my sleep.”
Chen Lan grumbled a bit, looking at Bai Long with an expression that said, “you don’t know how good you have it.”
They had been friends for so long that Bai Long was used to Chen Lan poking fun at her now and then, so she didn’t mind.
Bai Long’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she recalled the strange sensation from earlier. After a pause, she looked up at the girl behind her.
“Hey, let me ask you something.”
“You said Omegas experience a dependency period after being marked—what about Alphas? Are they affected too?”
The question seemed to come out of nowhere. Chen Lan, who was also single and had never even held an Omega’s hand, was taken aback.
“Alphas usually go through an irritability phase, not a dependency period. But marking isn’t one-sided. During the process, Alphas and Omegas exchange some pheromones, which might make an Alpha feel a sense of closeness toward the Omega.”
She scratched her cheek, trying hard to recall the relevant knowledge from biology class.
This wasn’t the first time Bai Long had asked something like this.
She had gotten used to Bai Long recently asking occasional questions about pheromones, marking, and other basic knowledge.
So Chen Lan didn’t overthink it and answered quite seriously.
“Actually, I was curious when I was younger and asked my mom. She said that after she and my dad did a bite mark early in their relationship, they… got a taste for it and kept wanting to do… less-than-child-friendly things.”
“Does that kind of effect count?”
“…That’s not an ‘effect.’”
That’s just being a damn horndog.
Bai Long felt it was probably because her pheromone compatibility with Lu Yue was too high, which was why she kept experiencing this inexplicable sense of restlessness and loss after his scent faded.
But this was just a transaction—devoid of any emotional involvement.
And after this, they wouldn’t cross paths again.
Because she clearly understood this, Bai Long took a deep breath and suppressed the slight, ambiguous feeling inside her.
However, just after school ended—when she had finally managed to steady her emotions—a new contact notification popped up on her WeChat.
Bai Long blinked, took out her phone, and opened it. Seeing that the contact name was Liang Shen, she accepted the request.
She was just about to send a greeting when the other person messaged first.
【L: Just finished school?】
This tone…
Bai Long stared at the three characters and a question mark on the screen for a long time. From what she remembered of Liang Shen—
Well, it was a bit unexpected.
Should she say, as expected of the friend of a domineering CEO? Normally, it didn’t show, but even sending a private message felt… bossy?
Snark aside, she quickly replied.
【Little White Dragon: Yep, just got out of school. I was about to head to my part-time job. Dr. Liang, did you need something?】
【L: Part-time job?】
For some reason, even though she couldn’t see his face, Bai Long could sense through the screen that he didn’t seem too pleased.
【L: I recall the payment for the marking has already been transferred to your card. Is it insufficient?】
Bai Long had initially thought he’d added her to discuss follow-up matters. She stared at the message for a moment.
Even though it was just a casual question, something about it felt off to her.
【Little White Dragon: …Well, it’s enough for now, but after rent and other expenses, there isn’t much left. Plus, there’ll be more costs later, so I figure every bit of extra income helps.】
Bai Long didn’t really want to share too much about her personal situation—partly because it felt inappropriate, and partly because apart from the doctor-patient relationship, they weren’t really that close anyway.
Seeing that the other side had suddenly gone quiet without a reply, Bai Long’s fingers moved slightly over the screen.
Coincidentally, she also had something she wanted to ask Liang Shen. After a moment’s thought, she smoothly shifted the topic.
【Little White Dragon: By the way, Dr. Liang, are you free right now? I’d like to ask you something.】
【Little White Dragon: About… things related to marking.】
【L: …Go ahead.】
His reaction seemed a little surprised that Bai Long would ask about this, though she couldn’t tell much else through the screen.
【Little White Dragon: During marking, Alphas and Omegas exchange some pheromones, right? Would the Alpha… also show signs of dependency toward the Omega afterward?】
Bai Long was thin-skinned; talking about this made her feel shy. she pressed the back of her hand against her burning cheek. She didn’t think it was a difficult question—at least not for a doctor who specialized in this.
But the other side stayed silent for a long time.
She watched the text “typing…” appear repeatedly and wondered if she’d asked some kind of world-class difficult question.
Just as Bai Long was considering dropping the topic, the man finally squeezed out a reply.
【L: …For example?】
【Little White Dragon: For example… missing him.】