“I’m Chu Ling.”
An awkwardness that didn’t fit the moment.
That was Pei Xingzhi’s first impression of Chu Ling.
He wasn’t the type to judge people by their appearance, but Chu Ling’s outfit was simply too unique.
On top, he wore a loose sweater with a red-and-green color scheme, its collar so wide that it revealed a black-and-white plaid shirt underneath. On the bottom, he had on mustard-yellow corduroy pants, one pant leg tucked into green polka-dot socks, and on his feet, incongruously, a pair of shoes that leaned toward fluorescent.
With such bizarre styling, Pei Xingzhi half-wondered if someone had brought a Christmas tree into the room.
The new roommate’s bangs were long, and combined with his classic black-rimmed glasses and the various suitcases of all sizes around him, Pei Xingzhi felt as though he’d been transported back to another era.
Where on earth did this new roommate learn such prehistoric fashion sense?
“Let me help you with that.”
Staring at someone for too long wasn’t polite, so Pei Xingzhi withdrew his assessing gaze and reached out to take the things from him. The new roommate was highly guarded, just as Pei Xingzhi was about to touch the suitcase, he suddenly pushed it back.
Pei Xingzhi grabbed at empty air, awkwardly pulling his hand back and rubbing his nose.
“This is your bed. Need any help setting it up?”
“Thanks, but I can manage on my own.” Chu Ling spoke. Unlike his appearance, his voice was crisp and clear, with none of the gloominess his looks suggested.
“If you need anything, just let me know.”
Chu Ling didn’t need help, so Pei Xingzhi didn’t push it. Zhuang Xiaoyue had already taught him enough lessons, he wasn’t about to go looking for more trouble.
Hopping up onto his bed, Pei Xingzhi continued editing his game level while replying to Xie Nanyi’s messages.
The program failed to run again. Pei Xingzhi took off his headphones, defeated, and shut it down. Finally, he opened Xie Nanyi’s chat window for a look.
His video call had ended abruptly, and Xie Nanyi had sent a flood of messages afterward. Pei Xingzhi scrolled up and roughly counted, probably over forty.
Was he some kind of chat AI?
[Sweet Bunny Sauce]: Stop texting, or I’ll delete you.
[N1]: Xiao Zhi! Why’d you take so long to reply! Did that Omega steal you away?!
[Sweet Bunny Sauce]: TD
[Sweet Bunny Sauce]: Was busy just now.
[N1]: Busy with what? Busy thinking about me?!
[Sweet Bunny Sauce]: Busy thinking about how I’ll punch you next time we meet.
[Sweet Bunny Sauce]: Smile jpg.
[N1]: So Xiao Zhi really wants to see me that badly! I want to see Xiao Zhi too!
[Sweet Bunny Sauce]: “…”
[N1]: Xiao Zhi, you absolutely must not fall for that Omega! Omegas are no good, I’m the best one for you!
[Sweet Bunny Sauce]: What exactly are you?
Pei Xingzhi took off his glasses and rubbed his brow. Though Xie Nanyi’s words were grating, chatting with him did help relieve some fatigue. A clattering sound came from below. Pei Xingzhi looked up at the bed across from him. Chu Ling packed his things quickly and quietly, or rather, he didn’t have much that needed serious organizing.
This Omega looked even more pitiful than Zhuang Xiaoyue. He was actually still using the school-provided mattress that even Zhuang Xiaoyue had turned her nose up at, and aside from some daily necessities, he had nothing else.
[Sweet Bunny Sauce]: Are all Omegas at the school poor?
Pei Xingzhi thought about it and directly sent this message to Xie Nanyi.
[N1]: Not all Omegas at the school are from low-income families, but any Omega who agrees to share a dorm with a Beta is definitely from a low-income family.
[N1]: Because Xiao Zhi is a Beta, you always run into poor Omegas. If you bonded with me, you wouldn’t have to keep living in mixed dorms.
Pei Xingzhi didn’t reply to Xie Nanyi’s message. He shifted his position and lay on his stomach on the bed, watching Chu Ling sitting at the desk below, fiddling with something.
In his hand was a white model. It was a bit far away, so Pei Xingzhi couldn’t see it clearly, he could only vaguely make out that it was probably some kind of mech model.
An Omega assembling a mech model.
Those words, in Pei Xingzhi’s understanding, were equivalent to an Alpha giving birth, the two concepts simply couldn’t be put together.
“Chu Ling… I didn’t get that wrong, did I?” Pei Xingzhi took the initiative to call out Chu Ling’s name. Chu Ling probably wasn’t used to being addressed like that, his back visibly trembled, and a small part in his hand rolled clattering to the edge of the desk.
“No…” Chu Ling pushed the part back and responded to Pei Xingzhi in a low voice.
“My name is Pei Xingzhi, I’m a Beta. I’m in the Medical Department. What major are you in? I don’t think I’ve seen you around the Medical Department.”
Setting aside gender, Pei Xingzhi was still quite popular at school. He couldn’t say he knew every classmate in the Medical Department, but he could at least recognize most faces. Someone as distinctive as Chu Ling, he really should have known him.
“I’m in Mech Design.”
“Mech Design?!”
Hearing those two words, Pei Xingzhi shot up to his feet, and the top of his head successfully slammed into the ceiling. Clutching his aching skull, he stared at the unremarkable Chu Ling with his mouth hanging open in shock.
It wasn’t his fault for reacting so strongly. Alliance University was different from other universities, most of its majors directly fed into the government and the military, and students began working on nation-related projects while still in school.
As a Beta, Pei Xingzhi could only enter the Medical Department, which served as a reserve corps. Omegas had slightly more options, but due to their inherent disadvantages, few Omegas chose other majors that were thankless and demanding.
The Mech major was an even more special one.
Mechs required pheromones to operate, so Pei Xingzhi, being a Beta, naturally had no chance of being admitted. And due to certain special reasons, the Mech major also didn’t accept Omegas. That rule had only been broken this year.
He had long heard that the Mech major at Alliance University had specially recruited one Omega this year, but he never imagined that the exception would be such an ordinary-looking Omega.
Pei Xingzhi silently sat back down and opened the chat window with Xie Nanyi.
[Sweet Bunny Sauce]: My new roommate is the Omega who got into the Mech major?!
[N1]: Yeah.
[Sweet Bunny Sauce]: I just thought he was weird. I guess all prodigies have their own unique style.
[N1]: Does Xiao Zhi admire him?
[Sweet Bunny Sauce]: Getting exceptional admission into the Mech major, he’s practically at god-tier academic level!
[N1]: Then why doesn’t Xiao Zhi admire me?
[Sweet Bunny Sauce]: Why would I admire you?
[N1]: Because I was admitted to the mecha pilot program without an exam.
[N1]: SSS-level pheromone, Class A top-tier mecha pilot.