The Outburst

Shi Ji had been acting strange lately.

Though for Li Chen, Shi Ji’s strangeness wasn’t exactly a new development, recently his behavior had shifted from merely “strange” to outright “bizarre.”

For instance, he was constantly probing—both directly and indirectly—into Li Chen’s relationship with Jiang Mo. He had even taken it upon himself to force the homeroom teacher to swap their seats so they were desk-mates. Beyond that, Shi Ji seemed possessed by a frantic need to tether Jiang Mo to his side at all times.

Li Chen couldn’t fathom the meaning behind this. Then, a thought occurred to him: he remembered the very first time they met Jiang Mo, how Shi Ji had looked at the boy with an unmistakable glimmer of approval in his eyes.

An inexplicable notion bubbled up in his mind, causing Li Chen’s hands to falter. Beneath his feet, withered leaves rolled across the ground in the wind.

Does Shi Ji like Jiang Mo?

He had once said he wasn’t interested in Omegas—so was he interested in an Alpha like Jiang Mo instead?

His fingers tightened around the handle of his broom. A peculiar sensation sat heavy in his chest, something Li Chen couldn’t quite name. All he knew was that, suddenly, Jiang Mo had become an eyesore.

Just a few days ago, Shi Ji had been acting like he cared about Li Chen every waking second.

And now, his affections had already strayed to someone else.

At this thought, Li Chen’s lashes fluttered, startled by the sheer bitterness of his own reflection.

Strayed? Had he misunderstood something about Shi Ji?

When had Shi Ji ever truly cared about him?

Perhaps… perhaps all those previous actions were just a game, a way to find amusement in tossing him scraps of kindness.

Li Chen’s canine teeth pressed into his lower lip, the sharp tips leaving a small indentation in the flesh. He seemed unable to feel the pain. He swung his broom, using the protruding bamboo tips to puncture the surface of a dead leaf on the ground before grinding it savagely into the dirt.

He seemed to be projecting Shi Ji onto that withered leaf, ruthlessly trampling the fragile thing until it was scattered in tattered pieces. Only then did the tightness in his chest finally begin to dissipate.

“Student Li Chen, I’ve finished cleaning my section. How about you?” Jiang Mo suddenly called out. Li Chen looked up instinctively to see the other boy walking toward him. Before he had even reached him, his voice had already tunneled into Li Chen’s ears.

Perhaps because of his previous wandering thoughts, Li Chen narrowed his eyes, his expression turning cold. “Not yet,” he answered curtly.

Jiang Mo didn’t notice anything amiss. To him, Li Chen’s defensive and dismissive attitude was already something he was well-accustomed to.

“Then I’ll help you.” Always enthusiastic, Jiang Mo moved to lower his broom, but was abruptly cut off by Li Chen.

“No need,” Li Chen refused. “Go back to the classroom first.”

Jiang Mo tilted his head, meeting the other’s eyes. “It’s fine, we can go back together.”

In contrast to Li Chen, Jiang Mo actually wanted to build a good relationship with him. For some reason, he felt an inexplicable draw toward the boy.

As he spoke, Jiang Mo took a step closer. In the next instant, Li Chen recoiled several steps as if he’d been electrocuted.

The lingering scent of sandalwood drifted into his nose. Li Chen raised a hand to cover his nostrils, frowning deeply. “Can’t you restrain your pheromones?!”

His glands, intruded upon by Alpha pheromones, began to heat up as a reflex. This physiological reaction made Li Chen exceptionally uncomfortable.

Jiang Mo’s eyes widened, his deep green pupils filled with apology. “I’m sorry! I’m just too hot, I can’t quite control the pheromones.”

He scratched the back of his head and added, “If it makes you uncomfortable, then… then maybe just stay a bit further away from me.”

The moment Jiang Mo finished speaking, Li Chen leaped away without hesitation. However, he didn’t notice the small pit behind him. His foot slipped for a split second; Li Chen stumbled, losing his balance and falling backward.

He reflexively closed his eyes, but the expected pain never came. Instead, he was enveloped by a thick, heavy scent of sandalwood.

Li Chen opened one eye and found himself looking directly into Jiang Mo’s deep green gaze.

The Alpha’s sturdy arm was wrapped around Li Chen’s waist. He was leaning forward slightly, the distance between them inadvertently shrinking. As the boy’s misty-blue eyes wavered, Jiang Mo caught a faint, subtle whiff of iris pheromones.

Jiang Mo’s breathing grew a bit heavier. Li Chen quickly broke free from his grasp and jumped even further away.

“Thanks.” Even if he disliked Jiang Mo, Li Chen had to admit the Alpha had truly helped him just now. He squeezed out the words awkwardly, his gaze then landing on Jiang Mo’s reddened cheeks.

The skin of the youth before him wasn’t as pale as Shi Ji’s; if one didn’t look closely, the flush would be entirely missed. Li Chen frowned, unable to understand why Jiang Mo had suddenly become so bashful.

Is this the type Shi Ji likes?

Li Chen scanned Jiang Mo from head to toe.

Then, he let out a cold snort.

His taste isn’t all that great.

He looked away and resumed sweeping. Just then, someone in the distance called Jiang Mo’s name. Jiang Mo quickly called back an answer and said to Li Chen, “The class monitor needs me for something, I’ll head over first.”

With that, he ran off with his broom.

Li Chen watched Jiang Mo’s retreating back, seeing him exchange a few words with the monitor. The Alpha glanced back toward Li Chen with a troubled expression, said something else, and then followed the monitor into the teaching building.

With the owner of the pheromones gone, the sandalwood scent in the air gradually faded. Only when it had vanished completely did Li Chen dare to take a deep breath. He shoveled up the last of the trash on the playground, picked up his cleaning tools, and slowly made his way toward the classroom.

The sun hanging in the sky had shifted a few inches to the west. Li Chen lowered his head, dazing as he watched his elongated shadow. Suddenly, his shoulder was slammed into with significant force. Before he could even look up, the other person shouted first: “Are you blind?!”

Li Chen knit his brows, the dull thud of pain in his shoulder stimulating his brain. He turned his head to see the person beside him—a boy with a slouching, arrogant posture, his school jacket tied loosely around his waist and long bangs almost covering his eyes. He practically reeked of second-year-syndrome bravado.

It was the school bully, Yang Xing. He had bullied Li Chen a few times when school first started, but eventually gave up when he felt Li Chen’s lack of resistance made him a “boring” target.

“I was wondering who it was.” Upon seeing it was Li Chen, Yang Xing’s tone turned snide. “So it’s our very own Li Chen.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets and stepped forward, the hem of his jacket swaying. Then, as if sensing something, Yang Xing leaned down toward Li Chen, pointedly twitching his nose. Li Chen’s brow furrowed deeper as he shifted his body away.

“You’ve got Alpha pheromones on you,” Yang Xing stated bluntly. He was an Alpha himself, and the scent on Li Chen was clearly more dominant than his own. Due to the natural repulsion between Alphas, Yang Xing immediately felt a surge of irritation.

After saying this, his gaze swept over Li Chen playfully—a look so loathsome it felt as if he were treating Li Chen like some degrading toy.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been marked by an Alpha?” Yang Xing widened his eyes in mock shock, then let out a couple of “tsk-tsks.” “What a waste. You’ve got such a pretty face.”

He reached out a hand to touch Li Chen’s cheek, only for it to be swatted away impatiently.

Li Chen had used considerable force. Yang Xing’s hand turned red in the blink of an eye. The burning pain instantly enraged the Alpha. He shoved Li Chen’s shoulder hard twice. “You looking for a death wish?!”

Who was he, Yang Xing? Even the principal treated him with a modicum of respect; since when could an ungrateful Omega like this lay hands on him?

Li Chen lifted his eyes to glare at him, his gaze as frigid as frost. He looked like a little hedgehog covered in needles, appearing ready to spring up and take a bite out of Yang Xing at any moment.

Yang Xing was actually momentary cowed by Li Chen’s gaze. He froze for a few seconds before becoming even more incensed, grabbing Li Chen by the collar.

“What’s with that look!” Yang Xing gritted his teeth, clenching his fist tight as he threatened into Li Chen’s ear. “You dare look at me like that? Believe me or not, I’ll beat you to a pulp!”

He was much taller than Li Chen; while held by the collar, Li Chen was forced onto his tiptoes. He tilted his head slightly, looking at Yang Xing with an indifferent expression, showing no reaction to the empty threats.

Yang Xing mistook this for being scared into silence and sneered, “Finally know how to be afraid? Let me tell you, if you beg me, or…”

“Release your pheromones and let me have a taste too.”

“Maybe I’ll let you off. How about it?”

Li Chen pressed his lips together and calmly looked away.

Yang Xing’s brow jumped. “I’m talking to you!”

Being ignored like this for the first time, Yang Xing felt his dignity had been completely trampled into the dirt by Li Chen. His face turned a deep red, his eyes bloodshot with rage. His clenched fist trembled, itching to land on Li Chen’s face.

“Talk!!” He shook Li Chen violently. “I told you to talk!”

“Disgusting.”

Li Chen spoke suddenly, his cool, clear voice spitting out the single, biting word.

“What did you say?”

Yang Xing’s eyes bulged.

“You f*cking… dare call me disgusting?!!”

Rage went straight to his head. He rolled his jaw and roared, “You f*cking unwanted mutt, you dare call me disgusting?! Even if your parents were alive and standing in front of me right now, no one would dare—”

THUD!!

A heavy, muffled sound cut Yang Xing off. Before he could even react, Li Chen had landed a solid punch squarely on his face.

Yang Xing was dazed by the blow. He shook his dizzy head and raised a finger toward Li Chen. “You—”

CRACK!!!

In the next second, an even heavier punch landed directly on his jaw. Yang Xing’s vision blurred; he stumbled a few steps before losing his balance and falling onto his backside.

Li Chen stared at the bewildered Yang Xing. His breathing was rapid, and his tightly clenched knuckles were white and trembling.

Then, he took a few steps forward. Yang Xing looked up, meeting Li Chen’s eyes—eyes that were filled with a chilling murderous intent.

“You… what do you want to do…?” Yang Xing swallowed hard. The youth before him seemed like a completely different person; the feeling he gave off was incredibly dangerous. He scurried backward, his voice shaking. “I-I’m warning you, if you dare lay another hand on me, I’ll… I’ll…”

Before he could finish, Li Chen lunged at him without a word, raining punches down on Yang Xing’s face.

Instantly, the entire playground echoed with Yang Xing’s screams and pleas for mercy. Li Chen’s pale fingers were stained red with blood. He stared down at the unrecognizable boy beneath him, whose eyes were starting to roll back.

A voice in the depths of his heart was screaming.

Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.

The voice was like an irresistible command, making it impossible for Li Chen to stop. He moved mechanically, repeatedly; with every fist that fell, there was a clear, heavy thud.

His vision was stained red, and the metallic tang of blood stimulated his nerves. Yang Xing, pinned ruthlessly to the ground, struggled for survival, but his movements gradually slowed into nothingness.

Li Chen raised his fist high, about to strike again, when suddenly, another person’s voice rang out from behind—

“Li Chen!”