That evening, Wen Mo went to celebrate Qin Wenya’s birthday.
Earlier that afternoon, Wen Mo had visited a department store to pick out a bottle of perfume. In this world, Betas lack scent glands and possess only trace amounts of pheromones, meaning they have almost no natural scent. People often crave what they don’t have; for many Betas, the aromatic allure of pheromones is one of those things. Since they cannot secrete it themselves, they turn to perfumes as a substitute.
Wen Mo knew that Betas generally appreciated fine fragrances, making a high-end perfume a safe and thoughtful gift. Moreover, the price point was just right. Qin Wenya came from an ordinary family; if Wen Mo were to gift her something worth six figures—like the gifts exchanged at Wei Mingshu’s level—Qin Wenya might feel too burdened to accept it.
Wen Mo had a final elective class to attend that afternoon, which Qin Wenya wasn’t taking. With winter break approaching, many courses were wrapping up, and Qin Wenya had the whole afternoon off. Her social circle at school wasn’t particularly large, so her birthday guest list consisted only of her roommates and Wen Mo.
Qin Wenya had initially offered to wait for her, but Wen Mo, knowing the roommates were free, insisted they go ahead and start the fun. She promised to rendezvous with them as soon as class let out.
Qin Wenya’s celebration was much more “down-to-earth.” She had booked a KTV room where they planned to order milk tea, skewers, and BBQ delivery. They would share the cake in the booth, sing their hearts out, and then head out for hotpot as a late-night snack.
Aware of Wen Mo’s status as a wealthy socialite, Qin Wenya was slightly worried she wouldn’t be used to the unpretentious lifestyle of an average college student. After explaining her plans, she tentatively asked for Wen Mo’s thoughts.
Wen Mo, of course, had no objections. She laughed and asked if Qin Wenya had some sort of misunderstanding about her. She was just a regular student, too—not a princess locked in a castle sipping tea every afternoon. Besides, who doesn’t love milk tea, BBQ, and hotpot?
In truth, Wen Mo hadn’t had hotpot in a long time. Once Qin Wenya mentioned it, she found herself genuinely craving it.
As soon as class ended, Wen Mo hailed a taxi. It was peak hour, with students pouring out for food and entertainment, and she found herself stuck in a digital queue for a ride. It was then that she remembered “Wen Mo” actually had a car parked in the campus lot.
Wen Mo had a driver’s license back in her original world, but she hadn’t driven much and felt a bit “rusty.” Even if this body possessed extensive driving experience, she didn’t quite trust her own muscle memory yet. Since she rarely needed to drive, she hadn’t bothered with it.
Staring at the “10+ people ahead of you” notification on her phone, she felt a sudden impulse to get behind the wheel. However, the thought of the long trek from the school gate back to the parking lot quickly extinguished that spark. By the time she walked there, she’d likely have her taxi anyway.
When she neared the destination, she messaged Qin Wenya for the room number, only to find the birthday girl waiting for her right at the KTV entrance.
The moment Wen Mo saw her, she smiled and handed over the gift. “Happy Birthday!”
“Thank you!” Qin Wenya accepted it shyly. Seeing the brand on the bag—a well-known luxury label—she knew it wasn’t cheap. It was the kind of thing she’d normally never splurge on for herself, but she knew that for Wen Mo, this was a modest gesture, so she didn’t make a fuss about refusing.
As they walked toward the room, Qin Wenya asked, “By the way, when is your birthday?”
Wen Mo thought for a second. “Not for a while. It’s in March.”
“Will your family throw a huge party?” Qin Wenya asked. “It’ll be your twentieth, right? One of those grand birthday banquets?”
During Wei Mingshu’s party, Father Wen had mentioned this very topic. It was definitely happening.
Wen Mo nodded. “I’ll send you an invitation when the time comes.”
Qin Wenya’s eyes lit up. “I can go?”
“Of course,” Wen Mo replied. “Aren’t we friends?”
“Definitely! Friends!”
In her subconscious, Wen Mo still assumed Qin Wenya’s roommates would all be girls. Thus, when she pushed open the door and saw two guys and one girl sitting there, she was momentarily taken aback.
Qin Wenya stepped forward to introduce them one by one. “These are my roommates. This beauty is Qiu Lvchun, that’s ‘Fatty’ Yan Lu, and the handsome guy over there is Fu Yang.”
Yan Lu immediately protested, “Hey, what gives? She’s a ‘beauty’ and he’s a ‘hottie,’ but I’m just ‘Fatty’?”
Beside him, Qiu Lvchun hooked an arm around his neck. “If you don’t want to be called Fatty, then actually commit to your diet! Look at your build—if we don’t call you Fatty, what are we supposed to call you?”
Yan Lu, still clutching a cup of milk tea, took a massive sip and glared at her. “Fine, fine! Diet starts tomorrow!”
Wen Mo couldn’t help but chuckle. The phrase was all too familiar; her own roommates back home used to say it every single day. The result was always Tomorrow, tomorrow, and tomorrow—and “tomorrow” never seemed to come. It was clear that the roommates had a great dynamic and the atmosphere was warm.
Wen Mo’s laugh immediately made her seem more approachable. The roommates already knew who she was—she was a minor celebrity on campus, especially with her recent total image makeover. Even those who didn’t browse the campus forums had heard the gossip. Plus, since she was Qin Wenya’s classmate, they had already heard plenty of good things about her. They were inclined to trust their friend’s judgment over the rumors, so they were predisposed to like her.
Wen Mo’s friendly demeanor further broke the ice. Being from the same school helped, and aside from the “handsome guy” who stayed quiet, the others were quite extroverted. They hit it off quickly.
They took turns singing, while those resting engaged in effortless small talk. Qiu Lvchun eventually asked to add Wen Mo on social media so they could hang out again. Wen Mo didn’t hesitate, pulling out her phone for Qiu Lvchun to scan her code.
Yan Lu followed suit, whipping out his phone to join in.
With everyone else added, Wen Mo’s gaze naturally drifted toward the “handsome guy” who hadn’t said much or picked a single song. Even though Wen Mo was the newcomer, she had already sung two tracks, yet he remained seated on the side sofa, his eyes glued to his phone, barely moving an inch.
Fu Yang noticed Wen Mo’s gaze and looked up at her. He remained silent for two seconds, his expression suggesting a distinct lack of interest.
Wen Mo didn’t mind; she didn’t expect everyone to be enthusiastic toward her. She began to pull her hand back, but at that exact moment, Fu Yang moved. He extended the hand holding his phone toward her.
Wen Mo froze. Fu Yang froze as well.
The two continued their silent eye contact. Colorful disco lights swirled around the KTV room while Qin Wenya sang a soothing love song. Her voice was sweet and melodic, a perfect match for the track.
Fu Yang had been sitting in the corner, barely speaking. Aside from the few extra glances Wen Mo had given him during the introductions, she hadn’t really looked his way. The way he kept his head down while playing on his phone made it difficult to get a good look at his face.
However, at first glance, Wen Mo had thought he was quite handsome. In the well-heated room, he wore a solid gray-white crewneck sweater, looking every bit the clean, pure youth. Qin Wenya’s description of him as a “hottie” wasn’t an exaggeration at all.
The world of 2D novels truly delivers on the visuals, Wen Mo couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Since she’d only caught a fleeting glimpse earlier, she hadn’t felt comfortable staring. Now that they were making eye contact, she noticed his pupils were a light, beautiful shade of hazel.
His face was expressionless, his eyes devoid of any obvious emotion. He was quiet—so quiet that when he had his head down, he almost seemed to vanish into the background.
Wen Mo gave him a small smile, extended her phone again, and proactively asked, “Want to add each other?”
Fu Yang still didn’t say a word, but he leaned in and scanned her code.
“Holy crap, did you see that!” Behind her, Qiu Lvchun immediately leaned over to Yan Lu and whispered, “Fu Yang actually added Wen Mo!”
Yan Lu glanced at them, confused by her shock. “So? We all added her.”
Qiu Lvchun hissed, “How are you and Fu Yang the same?”
“How are we different? Aren’t we both Wenya’s roommates?”
“I’m talking about personality! Personality! Forget it, I’m not wasting my breath on you.”
Yan Lu rolled his eyes. “Fine by me!”
Wen Mo didn’t overhear their bickering. Seeing that Fu Yang still didn’t seem interested in chatting after adding her, she didn’t stay to bother him. She didn’t take his coldness personally or think he had a problem with her; from what she could see, he didn’t talk much to the other three either.
Qin Wenya and the others seemed used to it. The fact that they still hung out together proved he wasn’t antisocial; he was likely just a man of very few words.
As Wen Mo turned back, Qiu Lvchun left Yan Lu and scooted over to chat with her.
“Fu Yang’s pretty handsome, right?” Qiu Lvchun whispered.
“He is,” Wen Mo agreed without much thought. “You’re very pretty, too. And Fatty Yan Lu is very cute.”
Qiu Lvchun laughed. “You’re not being fair! You haven’t mentioned our Wenya yet.”
Wen Mo laughed as well and quickly added, “Wenya has the face of an angel and the voice of one, too.”
“Then why don’t you like her? Is it true you only have eyes for men?” As she spoke, Qiu Lvchun’s gaze drifted toward Wen Mo’s lower half.
That post is really doing some heavy lifting, Wen Mo thought. Since she was the one who started the rumor about herself, she saw no reason to deny it. She nodded. “Yes.”
Qiu Lvchun clicked her tongue. “Well, I guess I don’t have a chance then. I actually quite like you.”
Knowing she was joking, Wen Mo didn’t take it seriously. She smiled and said, “It’s okay, we can be sisters.”
“I’m hitting the restroom,” Yan Lu suddenly stood up and announced. “Anyone else going?”
“Go by yourself. Do you need a hand-holder?” Qiu Lvchun waved him off.
Yan Lu grumbled a bit and headed out on his own.
Qiu Lvchun continued her gossip. “So, would a hottie like our Fu Yang be your type?”
Wen Mo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Just because there are a lot of handsome guys doesn’t mean I fall for every one I see.”
“Holy s**t!” The KTV door burst open, and Yan Lu, who had just left, came rushing back in with a look of pure terror.
His shout was so loud it nearly drowned out Qin Wenya’s singing over the microphone. Everyone turned to look at him.
“What’s with the drama?” Qiu Lvchun asked.
“Outside, I think an Omega is in heat,” Yan Lu panted. “There are several Alphas out there too. It’s a total mess.”