Inside the lounge

The faucet was turned all the way on, and the rushing water drowned out the Alpha’s unsteady breathing and heavy, pain-laced nasal sounds.

Blood gathered at his chin into droplets before falling, thick and heavy, splattering against the white porcelain sink, only to be washed away by the splashing water.

Zhao Shu yanked out several paper towels and roughly wiped the blood off his chin.

After wasting seven or eight sheets, the nosebleed finally stopped.

He lifted his eyes to look at himself in the mirror and thought it wasn’t too bad—

His complexion looked a bit awful, sure, but at least his nose wasn’t broken.

The sink was littered with crumpled, blood-soaked paper towels…

The countertop that had once been spotless under the janitor’s care was now a complete mess.

There were still streaks of blood on his face, now smeared open by sweat trickling down.

His hair clung together in damp strands, making him look utterly miserable.

Zhao Shu reached out to scoop some water to wash up, but the moment his right hand touched the stream, a sharp pain shot from his middle finger—

“Hiss!”

He sucked in a breath of pain and jerked his hand back as if shocked.

Lowering his head, Zhao Shu realized that the entire nail of his right middle finger had been flipped up, barely hanging on by a strip of skin.

When he couldn’t see the wound, the pain hadn’t registered.

But now, staring at the mangled flesh and blood, his mind buzzed blank for a moment.

The intense, nerve-wracking pain shot through him, forcing him to bend forward.

His left hand braced against the sink just in time, stopping him from collapsing in humiliation.

With no one else in the lounge, every sound seemed amplified.

All he could hear was his own ragged breathing.

A strange, long-forgotten feeling spread from his chest—something the young master of the Zhao family hadn’t experienced in a long time.

The noise from outside was cut off.

He was alone in the lounge.

—Aggrieved.

He pressed his lips together.

The Alpha’s pupils contracted, his gaze darkening further.

Silently, he endured this ridiculous emotion—something that would get him laughed at, something only a child would feel.

His expression remained blank as he reached out and tore off the dangling nail from his middle finger.

Clenching his back teeth, he forced himself to endure the sharper, more violent pain that followed.

Zhao Shu leaned against the wall, letting himself slowly slide down until he curled up in the corner.

Behind him, the water continued to roar.

“What are you doing here?”

His voice was hoarse to the point of harshness.

He lifted his head slowly, staring expressionlessly toward the doorway—

A black-haired Beta stood there, carrying a medical kit.

…

Wu Qie naturally didn’t respond to such an aggressive question.

Avoiding conflict had always been his habit.

As Zhao Shu lowered his head again, Wu Qie stepped into the lounge—

It was his first time here.

Personal belongings of the players were scattered everywhere, and faint traces of different Alpha pheromones lingered in the air.

Though right now, those scents were completely suppressed by the heavy mix of tequila and blood.

Unlike the one outside, the person who had caused this mess showed no intention of apologizing.

Wu Qie tilted his head slightly, staring at a random pair of uniform shoes in the corner as if suddenly interested in them.

—Until a warm, soft fingertip cautiously touched Zhao Shu’s tense jaw.

Betas had no pheromones.

The black-haired young man crouching in front of him only carried the faint scent of laundry beads from his hoodie sleeve.

When he confirmed the Alpha wasn’t about to lash out, Wu Qie reached out again.

With a quiet sigh, he pinched Zhao Shu’s chin between two fingers and tilted it up.

“Let me see.”

His voice was gentle.

Zhao Shu kept his eyes lowered, his gaze cold.

But he slightly raised his face, allowing the other to examine him.

Wu Qie’s gaze swept over his features before settling on his nose.

After a careful check, he confirmed the bridge wasn’t broken and let go.

He shifted the medical kit and reached for Zhao Shu’s right hand—

But the moment his fingers touched his wrist, Zhao Shu violently shook him off.

Caught off guard, Wu Qie staggered and fell to the ground.

“Get lost. Don’t touch me.”

Propping himself up with both hands, Wu Qie immediately felt the Alpha pheromones in the air surge.

This felt completely different from any time Zhao Shu had released them before.

As a Beta, he couldn’t fully perceive them—

But he could feel the tequila scent suddenly intensify, wrapping around him with clear intent.

For a split second, his heart seemed to stop, as if a hand had reached into his chest and gripped it.

Wu Qie didn’t dwell on whether it was real or just an illusion.

He blinked, endured the pressure, and calmly opened the medical kit as he got back up.

Avoiding alcohol, he chose a milder disinfectant.

Biting open the cap, he poured it over the mangled finger.

Zhao Shu instinctively flinched.

Wu Qie tightened his grip on his wrist, watching as fine bubbles formed, fading from pink to clear.

“Did you stab it?”

Wu Qie suddenly asked.

His tone was purely uncertain.

Zhao Shu’s face twitched slightly.

After a moment, he slowly turned his head to look at him, as if the question didn’t matter at all.

Wu Qie didn’t bother pressing further.

—In that situation, anyone would notice both injuries. There was no way he had only seen Pei Qingyu.

Zhao Shu’s thinking was too extreme.

Wu Qie stood up and turned off the faucet above them.

The roaring water stopped instantly.

He crouched down again, never letting go of Zhao Shu’s hand.

Holding his wrist firmly, he pulled him slightly and sat cross-legged in front of him.

He took out bandages, sprinkled hemostatic powder, and carefully wrapped the injured finger layer by layer.

Unlike the rough way Zhao Shu had treated his wrist before.

His movements were gentle.

“You should still go to the hospital later, your—”

Before he could finish—

His shoulder was suddenly shoved hard.

Losing balance, Wu Qie fell backward.

In that split second, he looked up in confusion, only seeing the Alpha’s broad shoulders rapidly filling his vision—

The world spun.

The light above was blocked as the person above him pressed down.

In an instant, their positions flipped.

The Alpha loomed over him aggressively.

“What are you doing?”

Their eyes met—

The coldness was gone, replaced by something purely animalistic.

That uncomfortable feeling in Wu Qie’s chest surged like never before.

[Mr. Wu, we regret to inform you regarding your secondary differentiation…]

“Zhao Shu… wait. I—I don’t feel well.”

[Alpha has always been the favored creation… pheromones are their weapon.]

The scent of tequila felt like someone had uncorked a bottle and poured it straight over him.

[When a high-level Alpha deliberately releases dominance, even Betas are affected.]

Zhao Shu’s bandaged fingers gripped his throat, pinning him down.

[A Beta’s vomeronasal organ is only degraded, not gone…]

A rough palm pressed against his Adam’s apple.

[When an Alpha seeks control, they will obtain it… Beta submission is even more absolute than Omega’s.]

Zhao Shu leaned down and bit into his lips viciously.

Not desire—more like a beast tearing flesh.

“Y—mm?!”

Wu Qie choked, unable to move.

His body curled involuntarily as Zhao Shu pinned his waist down.

The scent flooded him like forced alcohol down his throat.

His body trembled.

His tongue stiffened.

The eyes above him were like a predator that had finally caught its prey—full of invasion.

Breath hot with blood.

The bite turned into something else.

Their breaths tangled, chaotic.

The sound of water dripping somewhere above was drowned out.

A rough tongue forced its way in, hot and invasive, exploring like a snake until Wu Qie gasped sharply from suffocation—

Only then did it retreat.

And then—

Zhao Shu bit down hard on his lip.

“!!!”

Wu Qie’s eyes flew open.

Pain and shock snapped through him, and he struggled violently.

The next second, the pressure vanished.

The suffocating pheromones withdrew just as suddenly.

Zhao Shu pulled away.

A thin strand of saliva snapped between them.

The light returned.

Wu Qie stared at the ceiling, dazed.

His mouth still tasted like blood.

His heart pounded wildly, his entire body screaming submission—

But his mind was clear.

He could not submit.

He forced himself up, shaky.

…His body didn’t feel like his own.

Every part of him was responding to the tequila scent like he’d been thrown into a vat of it.

His face was numb, but his body moved on instinct.

Before Zhao Shu could react—

A slender hand grabbed his hair.

His vision went black as his head was slammed hard into the wall.

“Bang!”

Pain exploded in the back of his head.

A punch followed immediately—

His cheek took the full force.

“You a dog? Biting people the moment you open your mouth.”

Wu Qie grabbed his collar, looking down at him.

Zhao Shu’s cheek quickly swelled.

“…You can fight, huh?”

He spat out blood and laughed.

Then immediately winced from the pain.

“Didn’t expect that from someone so quiet.”

Zhao Shu leaned back against the sink, one leg stretched out lazily.

“Wu Qie, I released a lot of pheromones just now.”

“…What?”

“If you were an Omega, you’d be soaked already. Clinging to me, not letting go.”

Wu Qie’s ears burned.

He stepped back like avoiding a plague.

“You want another beating?”

Zhao Shu smirked.

“Then kill me. You’ll be the first Beta to beat an S-class Alpha to death.”

“…When I kissed you just now, you were like a dead fish.”

“You call that a ‘kiss’?”

“Whatever it was—you just looked like you got bitten by a dog.”

“…”

“Beta really are useless.”

“You—”

“We should cancel the engagement.”

Wu Qie froze.

“…What?”

“I’ll tell my brother when I get back.”

“Alpha and Omega belong together. No need to waste time on each other.”

Silence.

“…Oh.”

…

Wu Qie slowly stood up.

He crouched beside the medical kit, picking everything back up neatly.

Zhao Shu watched.

When he finished, Wu Qie glanced at Zhao Shu’s bleeding finger—

…And his swollen face.

Serves him right.

He picked up the kit and walked toward the door.

Just before leaving, he paused and turned back.

“Coach Sun dragged me over to treat Pei Qingyu first.”

His tone was flat.

Zhao Shu said nothing.

Just when Wu Qie thought he wouldn’t respond—

“He didn’t force you. Wouldn’t you have gone anyway?”

Wu Qie blinked.

“I didn’t think about that. But I did try to find you.”

Silence.

Then he left.

…

Once he was gone, Zhao Shu finally collapsed.

“…Tried to find me? Bullshit.”

His head spun.

“…Damn. I really got a concussion.”

He ran a bloody hand through his hair.

…That hit was brutal.

Who the hell said this Beta had a good temper?