Shen Yan scoffed, his eyes filled with disdain.
People who’ve never been in a relationship tend to take emotions too seriously. Feelings are inherently unstable—caring too much about them only ends up affecting oneself.
Browsing through the shopping page, his fingertips hovered over the products for early heat cycles. After some deliberation, Shen Yan ultimately decided against purchasing them. It wasn’t the right time yet. Once he and Wen Xiuran had built some emotional foundation, then it wouldn’t be too late to add fuel to the fire.
The start of freshman year was always hectic. After the military training, club recruitment, class committee elections, and placement tests, the advisor notified the group chat that freshmen were required to attend a physical examination.
Xu Chu wailed in the dorm, “I faint at the sight of blood! Can I skip the blood draw for the checkup? I’m terrified of needles!”
“Probably not. What if someone has a contagious disease? I’m guessing this is to rule that out,” Shen Yan said absentmindedly, a lollipop dangling from his lips as he played a game barefoot, his feet propped on the chair. “Turn the AC down a bit more.”
Xu Chu fiddled with the remote while rambling, “They definitely want to confirm our secondary genders again. As a C-rank alpha, I’m gonna get looked down on for sure.”
The clatter of the keyboard grew louder as Shen Yan turned up the volume on his headphones, his fingers dancing lightly across the keys. His expression remained impassive as he played, the flickering lights of the game casting shifting colors across his face.
“Uh… Shen Yan, I didn’t mean anything by it…”
Shen Yan pretended not to hear. When Xu Chu leaned in closer, he put on an innocent face and claimed the game had been too loud. He hadn’t caught a word.
Xu Chu cautiously studied his expression before quietly letting out a sigh of relief.
Once the match ended, Shen Yan shoved his hands into his pockets and sauntered over to the balcony, nudging the door shut with his foot. He pulled out a mint-flavored cigarette from his pocket, the pale blue smoke curling into the air.
One hand rested lazily on the railing while the other held the cigarette, its tip glowing a deep red in the dark of night.
The temperature difference in S City was stark. Blistering heat and suffocating UV rays during the day, but by nightfall, the wind would pick up, sometimes even bringing rain. The daily temperature swing could easily exceed ten degrees.
Xu Chu’s worries weren’t unfounded. No matter how much society preached equality, hierarchies existed wherever people did. Alphas enjoyed the lion’s share of resources, and society tacitly agreed they were better suited for heavy responsibilities. Omegas, on the other hand, were seen as delicate and rarely assigned physical labor.
Alphas and omegas were further divided into A, B, and C ranks. Even among alphas, C-ranks were often mocked. In most people’s eyes, the only difference between them and betas was their heightened dependence on pheromones during their cycles. Otherwise, their physical and mental capabilities were practically the same.
Higher-ranked alphas could suppress their peers with pheromones. Before finding a mate, their cycles had little impact on their lives. Some A-rank alphas even chose to remain single to avoid being swayed by pheromones.
College was a microcosm of society. Though some countries had long banned secondary gender testing in universities, most schools ignored the rule under the guise of “teaching students according to their aptitude.”
The cigarette burned down to Shen Yan’s fingers, snapping him out of his thoughts. He quickly stubbed it out and tossed it into the trash.
Shen Yan opened WeChat and tried to send a verification message to Wen Xiuran, but it still showed privacy settings were in place. He raised an eyebrow—apparently, the other person hadn’t deleted him but had blocked him. It seemed he’d have to catch Wen Xiuran in person from now on.
He already had the schedule for the Pharmaceutical Analysis program, and Wen Xiuran had a public lecture in the Mingde Building recently. Shen Yan checked his own timetable. It was packed too. The art major had just started, and the broader tracks had already been assigned. This semester, he also had to participate in an exhibition and planned to publish a small research paper.
Everyone said life after high school graduation was supposed to be liberating, so why did college feel even busier? There wasn’t even time for dating.
Shen Yan wasn’t willing to let chasing someone or a relationship interfere with his priorities. He figured it might be better to take a break for a while and resume pursuing Wen Xiuran later.
A new message popped up in the group chat. The advisor had posted the specific physical examination times for each department, tagging everyone to remind them to fast before the morning check-up.
Wen Xiuran’s major was scheduled two hours later than Shen Yan’s. The only fasting requirement was for the blood draw, but completing all the tests would probably take about two hours.
Shen Yan tapped his index finger against his chin, thinking this was the perfect opportunity.
The next morning, a long line had already formed outside the campus clinic. Volunteers holding small red flags maintained order as students queued up with their forms for the tests. The art department’s time slot was relatively early, so after Shen Yan and Xu Chu finished all their tests, they sat on a bench outside.
Xu Chu was terrified of needles. During the blood draw, he clung to Shen Yan’s waist, trembling and refusing to let go, making Shen Yan both exasperated and amused. Shen Yan covered Xu Chu’s eyes while the doctor drew his blood.
Once it was over, Shen Yan helped Xu Chu to the bench to rest. The latter pressed a cotton swab to his arm, grimacing with his eyes squeezed shut, and asked Shen Yan to check if the bleeding had stopped.
“No bleeding,” Shen Yan said, tilting his head with amusement. “Go eat something already.”
Xu Chu flung the cotton swab away as if it were something filthy, pulled down his sleeve, and said shakily, “Let’s go together.”
“No need, I’m waiting for someone.” Shen Yan glanced at his phone, planning to deliver breakfast to Wen Xiuran right after his blood draw.
“Dude, you’re going all out for this crush,” Xu Chu said, reaching out. “What’s in your bag? Let me see.”
Shen Yan dodged, swatting Xu Chu’s hand away with a playful smirk. “Hands off. Whoever touches it becomes my significant other.”
“Even me?!” Xu Chu recoiled as if his ears had been dirtied. “You’re seriously twisted!”
After spending so much time together, Xu Chu had gotten a rough sense of Shen Yan’s personality. He didn’t have any ill intentions, but he always enjoyed teasing people with little tricks.
Whenever dorm inspections happened, Shen Yan would fix his peach-blossom eyes on the inspector with a disarming smile. He loved flustering people until their faces turned pink, then watching them fidget awkwardly from the sidelines.
Xu Chu couldn’t help but sigh. They said the prettier someone was, the more they enjoyed toying with others’ emotions. Thankfully, Shen Yan hadn’t set his sights on him—otherwise, he’d have been defenseless.
“I’ll head out first then, so I don’t interrupt your grand plans.” Xu Chu disliked the smell of medical equipment and left after speaking.
Shen Yan smoothed the stray hairs on his forehead and fastened the buttons on his shirt. After a moment’s hesitation, he paused, then undid the top button and tugged the collar slightly lower, revealing a red mole on his collarbone.
Afterwards, he tied his hair to the left side with a hairband, revealing his fair neck. There was still a band-aid on the back of his neck—a wound left from Xu Shiyan’s bite last time.
To buy breakfast in advance, he had even gotten up early and gone to the highest-rated breakfast spot nearby, packing up a pile of food.
Wen Xiuran, dressed in a white lab coat and holding a medical form, followed his classmates to the next examination station. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Shen Yan sitting on a bench, head bowed as he hugged a backpack, looking at his phone with an air of quiet obedience, a few strands of hair sticking up at his forehead.
Perhaps Wen Xiuran’s gaze was a little too intense, because Shen Yan suddenly looked up, his eyes locking straight onto him. After a brief moment of surprise, Shen Yan jogged over and pulled out several insulated containers from his backpack. “You haven’t eaten yet, right? I bought breakfast on the way—have some to tide you over.”
Wen Xiuran turned away to talk to someone beside him, clearly not intending to acknowledge Shen Yan.
Undeterred, Shen Yan pressed forward, holding out the breakfast.
Wen Xiuran’s tone was stiff. “I’m not eating.”
Shen Yan bit his lip, his lashes trembling slightly as his damp eyes fixed on Wen Xiuran. Stubbornly, he pushed the food toward him. “The check-up will take a while. Skipping breakfast isn’t good for you.”
His fingers accidentally brushed against Wen Xiuran’s palm, and the latter recoiled as if shocked.
“Hey, Xiuran, come on—this little Omega is—”
Wen Xiuran scowled. “He’s a Beta.”
“Huh?” The Alpha beside him blinked in momentary confusion before laughing it off. “Same difference, right? He went out of his way to bring you breakfast. Turning him down on the spot is just cruel.”
“Though, now that I think about it, this guy looks familiar. Maybe we were even high school classmates.”
Shen Yan glanced at the slightly tanned Alpha out of the corner of his eye, feeling an inexplicable sense of déjà vu.
“I said I’m not eating.” Wen Xiuran’s tone was unyielding.
It wasn’t that he had anything against Betas—he had never responded to the many Omegas who pursued him either. Wen Xiuran didn’t like having weaknesses. He believed he was fine on his own.
Summoning his courage, Shen Yan tentatively grabbed the hem of Wen Xiuran’s white coat, only to quickly let go when the other’s brows furrowed. Still, he stood his ground. “If you won’t take the breakfast, then add me back.”
“You even deleted him? That’s just heartless!” He Yi clutched his chest dramatically, as if he wanted nothing more than to lock the two of them together on the spot.
“All you have to do is nod, and you’d have such an adorable little boyfriend to hold every day. Bro, have you lost your mind from studying too much? How could you say no?”
Wen Xiuran shoved his hands into his pockets, staring at He Yi expressionlessly.
Shen Yan, looking dejected, took out the food and handed it to He Yi instead, forcing a smile. “I wasn’t sure what Xiuran likes, so I bought a lot. You guys must be hungry—why don’t we all eat together?”
Seizing the opportunity, He Yi nudged Wen Xiuran aside and grinned at Shen Yan, pointing at himself. “Hey, what about me? Want to give me a shot? I’m really good at cherishing the fairer sex, you know~”
Shen Yan offered him a polite smile and was about to decline when Wen Xiuran coldly took the breakfast, his tone still flat. “Fine. I’ll take it. You can go now.”
Meaning: no adding back on WeChat.
“This is from Xie’s Breakfast nearby, where you have to queue for ages in the morning.” He Yi waved the lunchbox in his hand, dramatically opening his mouth wide and raising his voice, “Now that’s true love, isn’t it?”
Wen Xiuran didn’t respond, turning to leave instead. He Yi flashed a bright smile, waving his hand before saying a cheerful “Thanks” as he walked away.
After Wen Xiuran and his group had left, Shen Yan frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on He Yi’s retreating figure with a hint of irritation.