[BL] Between an Alpha and Omega

AN: The chapter had its own story but I got it done! Yay~

*****

Coming into school the next day was an event in itself.

In that, it wasn’t possible to do so.

There were dozens of parents walking in to voice their grievances and various news crew’s milling about, hungry for the story. Whatever had occurred the day before was quite an event.

The trio, despite being separated, had been met with the same 7 words whenever they spoke to anyone from school.

“Did you hear about what happened yesterday?”

Depending on who was asked, the story changed as no one really saw what happened.

Some say that a gang of thugs showed up at the school gates to challenge Chen Guiren to a fight.

Some said that it was actually a gaggle of men and women who had apparently come to confront the man who they were all having an affair with, including a few teachers.

Others claimed a fight broke out between a bunch of adults but the motive was unclear.

The scary part was that they were all equally true.

***

A week later, the students were finally allowed back onto the campus. The news crew who had been camping outside the gate previously had gotten wind of a more juicy and current story, so they moved on.

While many parents were upset at the circus, all of them were glad they could finally send their kids back to school. Their monthly exam was coming up and a week away was bound to encumber them.

Classes went on as normal, though many noticed that a few teachers were missing from their positions. When questioned, the substitute would scold the student and tell them to focus on their studies.

Considering how the principal was also replaced as well, the rumor was that the missing teachers were involved in the ‘incident’ too.

“Seriously, you missed out on the show!” Yang Ru proclaimed as they walked through the campus. Other students were milling about whispering about the faculty changes. “It was crazy~”

It must have been for her to proclaim it as such. Yang Ru dealt with a lot of things, so ‘crazy’ was a special adjective for her.

Now that I think about it, wasn’t that the word she used to describe Chen Guiren? He thought, briefly wondering how the alpha was doing. They managed to slip away from his house without being seen but avoiding his parents was hard when he couldn’t get the full story from Li Suren.

Luckily, his parents were more relieved that he was not involved. His lack of knowledge worked in his favor though he still felt guilty for skipping school.

As for Li Suren, even when he texted him, the omega only gave short replies of ‘can’t talk, latr’. Whatever had taken his attention had it in a death grip. Considering his position, he probably had to deal with the aftermath of the event.

Jun Yibai could only marvel at the chaos that he and his friends had somehow avoided. Thinking about it, he was absolutely sure he’d have been dragged into it somehow.

On one hand, this would be due to his bad luck. If something bad happened, he’d somehow get involved. More relevantly though, the group of hooligans who stormed in were probably connected to Chen Guiren.

Ah, maybe Suren was right about us dodging a bullet. He thought, excusing himself to take a piss. Yang Ru was still busy trying to sort things out with her class so she left.

Now usually, going to the toilet at school isn’t very eventful. It's not even worth a mention when looking back on it.

But Jun Yibai had a strange ability to get involved with all kinds of bullshit.

Hence why he couldn’t help but notice there was a strange sound coming from the bathroom stall behind him. No, a lot of sounds.

Gasping and something wet.

“-a little bit more?” A deep growl rumbled quietly, his tone both pleading and demanding.

“I-is this not enough?!” The second voice was at least trying to be quiet though the mild panic in his voice elevated the volume. “I’m tired.”

“Just one more time? Please!?” The first voice begged, more wet noises echoing through the room. “I promise, this is the last time~”

“You said that last two times!”

God, can’t you be considerate enough to do this shit in a less frequented bathroom?!

They were all teens and he understood how… difficult it could be to manage things. The school didn’t allow romance on the grounds but when had that ever stopped anyone their age? No, they usually just snuck around in dark corners.

These dumbasses chose a bathroom stall. In a well-traversed hallway. At school!

Not wanting to get involved, he tried to wash his hands as quietly as possible. Unfortunately, his efforts were rendered moot, as the stall door slammed open. Two disheveled teens poured forth, the heavy scent around them making it clear what was happening within.

That and their clothes were parted in very key areas.

The shocking thing was the identity of the two, namely the smaller one. It was one Jun Yibai hadn’t seen in a while. The self-proclaimed leader of the beta’s, Song Yang. Said beta was fixing up his clothes, trying and failing to hide the marks peeking from his collar.

Ah. He thought with a sigh. It was that kind of thing.

The taller teen shadowing him was an alpha, another familiar face. Ruxing glanced at Jun Yibai, not bothering to fix his clothes as he greeted Jun Yibai with a smile.

He really saw nothing awkward about this, it seemed.

“Jun Yibai.” Song Yang called out, having straightened up his clothes. Had it not been for him just witnessing the duo exit the stall together, one would think it was just a casual meeting.

“I’m not getting involved in this.” Jun Yibai stated, the ‘this’ being very clear.

Song Yang flinched, glancing at the alpha who only then decided to fix his clothes.

“T-this isn’t… this is just maintenance!” He stammered, his face flushed as he angrily looked away. “Don’t think too deeply about it.”

“I didn’t ask.” Nor do I care.

“You-!” Song Yang looked to want to say something more before letting out a sigh. “Whatever! I need to talk to you about something later.”

That's not my problem either. He thought, refraining from speaking his thoughts aloud. It’d only piss this guy off and prolong the conversation.

“Hm.”

As if his grunt was an affirmation, Song Yang nodded with satisfaction.

“I’ll leave first.” He turned only to be grabbed by Ruxing.

“Yang, I-”

“Not now, Xingxing.”

There was a moment of silence between them, interrupted by the sound of the air dryer that Jun Yibai was using. He didn’t care about their little rendezvous or how they came about their relationship. It was mildly interesting that this guy who proclaimed himself to be the king of betas and sought to be equals with the upper classes yet was friends with an Alpha.

Or willing to accept being kissed by one, if the sound behind him was any clue. Thankfully, it was also a very short kiss so he didn’t have to pretend not to notice.

The door slammed shut and Jun Yibai was left in blissful silence. Perhaps the alpha, like some drama hero, had followed after Song Yang despite the risk. It would be better for Jun Yibai.

Not thinking much of it, Jun Yibai went back to retrieve his belongings from the sink. Their lover’s spat wasn’t any of his business so why should he rush? Yet when he looked up, he saw that the alpha hadn’t left. In fact, he was staring right at Jun Yibai through the mirror.

Jun Yibai grimaced, feeling a headache coming on.

***

“Wow, classmate Jun is a lot more muscular than I thought!”

Jun Yibai repressed the urge to sigh. He’d been doing it for days now and he wondered how much left of his soul was left to sigh.

Even so, Ruxing stood close by glancing at Jun Yibai’s bare chest for a moment before searching the locker room. For who, one might ask? Obviously, the beta had made it clear he was not going to be in the same room as the two of them.

Hence why Ruxing stuck close by. For the last 2 days, Song Yang kept trying to approach him but with Ruxing nearby, he bolted. It might have been a boon if the Alpha wasn’t annoying in his own way. While he was very friendly and courteous, he was also very blunt.

“Your alpha must really like your chest.” He marveled, his grin innocently shining. “You almost have breasts!”

(AN: Jun Yibai is basically a bara.)

Yes, it was statements like that, spoken aloud for anyone within earshot to hear. And Ruxing spoke fairly loudly so he was sure that old lady Han in the next town over was gossiping over the apparent pair of breasts on this teenage boy.

Ruxing was a different kind of beast it seemed.

“When are you going to stop following me?” He asked, though he already knew the answer. It was the same one he’d received every other time he’d asked this question.

“When Yang stops avoiding me.”

“How is that my problem?”

“Since you and Yang are friends, I figured this was the best way to corner him.”

Like he’s a goddamn rabbit being hunted. Then again, Ruxing was very predatory when it came to Song Yang. His smiles were light but the gleam in his eyes made it clear where his interests lie. It was why Jun Yibai had no issue being ogled by the taller teen.

Still, it defeated the purpose of him avoiding Li Suren and Chen Guiren if this behemoth clung to his ass.

“Classmate Yang and I aren’t friends.” He stated, pulling his uniform back in place. “At best, we’re neighbors.”

“But you are the only one he talks to besides Xinshui.”

Xinshui? The name sounded familiar but where had he heard it? Ah!

“The omega?” He guessed, recalling the omega Song Yang had tried ‘offering’ to him before. The only reason he recalled his name was that Yang Ru seemed to have a crush on him. But knowing they were friends was surprising considering the circumstances.

“Xinshui is his cousin so they aren’t really friends,” Ruxing explained, making Jun Yibai dislike Song Yang even more than before. Yet he continued on. “When I saw how close-”

“We aren’t close.” He cut in.

“-you two were, I was sure Song Yang had made a friend after all this time.”

Somehow the thought of being considered that scummy guy’s friend was more offensive than anything else.

“So you kissed him?” He said, seeking to get off this subject. Like a charm, the alpha went along with it, his predatory smile returning. Jun Yibai was just glad it wasn’t him getting looks like that.

That was the look of ‘I want to do more than just kiss’.

“No, that was separate but now he won't talk to me.” Ruxing sighed, disappointed. It’d have been cute if not for the mild growl that rumbled out with it. “If I stay with you, he’ll have to approach me himself.”

“You probably should’ve kissed him out of nowhere.”

“We kiss all the time.” Ruxing was quick to wave off his warning, his bright smile returning with a vengeance. “He just gets shy when others see us.”

Ah, this was becoming more complicated by the minute. He didn’t want to deal with this.

Not wanting to waste his breath, he left for class. It was PE and the cruelty of the world made it so that he and Ruxing were sharing a period.

Jun Yibai was soon jogging down the track, keeping pace with his classmates for the most part. While the alphas were ahead, to begin with, they tired out quickly and were running with the others despite having lapped them at least twice.

One such alpha was running beside Jun Yibai talking his ear off.

“Why are you being so mean to me?” The teen grumbled, his large frame casting a shadow over Jun Yibai. “Don’t ignore me~”

Ignore you!? Jun Yibai thought, gritting his teeth as he said nothing. You are huge! Who could ignore you?!

“How about just telling me what you and Yangyang were talking about before!” He tried once more, nudging the beta.

Ah, that.

The two of them had been talking before this but as soon as this giant showed up, he ran away. All his talk of standing up to the alpha hierarchy crumbled as soon as this guy showed up. Song Yang definitely looked annoyed but hadn’t stopped staring once he noticed his giant shadow hadn’t followed after him.

It would seem Song Yang wasn’t as disinterested as he seemed.

But to get involved would be bothersome.

“Please don’t involve me in your drama.”

Jun Yibai already had enough on his plate. He didn’t want to be the third wheel in this.

“Is it drama?” Ruxing frowned, looking clueless despite how clear Jun Yibai had been. Then a look of revelation bloomed on his face. “Ah! I thought it’d be fine but I guess your mate would be upset if I got too close, right? Sorry.”

“Eh?” Jun Yibai stopped, stepping to the side to keep from getting in the way of others. Ruxing followed after him. “I don’t have a mate.”

Better yet, how would having a mate mean you only now feel remorse for all the harassment?

“But you smell like an alpha.” He replied, looking Jun Yibai over. “Was it not your mate?”

“This is a mixed school. I’m sure I smell like omega too.”

“Hm, I guess but…” Ruxing frowned, as if trying to understand something complicated. “I don’t know how to explain it. Maybe it's a beta thing.” The alpha sighed, scratching his head.

Jun Yibai really didn’t understand this guy.

How could he? Jun Yibai was free from the baggage of pheromones, so he had no clue he had an alpha's marking scent on him. It was very faint, as if the mark was made quite a while ago. Lan Ruxing was also born from an alpha pair, so he could scent it better than other alphas.

This person was very faintly marked, like a small tally to keep track of them.

Perhaps his mate fears losing him in a crowd? Ruxing thought, wondering if he should tell the beta. He seemed completely unaware of being marked.

He was a bit envious, wishing he could do the same with Song Yang but the beta had parents who would notice and tell him. Especially if it was him that made the mark.

He sighed, forlorn.

Jun Yibai, on the other hand, was confused. The only Alpha he’d been close to recently aside from Ruxing was Chen Guiren and it couldn’t be from him. It had been more than a week so surely a scent wouldn’t stick to him that long. Moreover, if one alpha sensed it, would others?

The thought made him wonder about his friends and if they were alright. He hadn’t even seen or heard from them since returning to school. Then again, how often had he seen them prior to that day? It was a coincidence that they bumped into each other considering the size of the school.

Wasn’t it said there was only an 11% chance of bumping into someone you know? So many factors came into play when meeting a familiar face. Time, place, and opportunity. In school, it was easier but still, Jun Yibai had managed to steer clear of the two for months.

The chances were slim.

Hence why he was surprised when he happened to spot a familiar shock of silver-white hair peeking from around a corner. It was hard to see from the field but that color was seared into his mind so he always kept an eye out for it.

Right then, he saw Li Suren being shouted at by some older students some distance away. They encircled him yet he looked poised and controlled as he spoke. The words couldn’t be heard but the atmosphere was clear.

They were trying to browbeat him.

While he was sure Li Suren could handle himself, he disliked how they were trying to intimidate the omega by towering over the teen. The fact their age wasn’t making him back down, it seemed, was clearly bothering them.

Without a word to Ruxing, Jun Yibai stepped away, keeping out of sight so he could get close enough. Their words, formerly muffled by distance, came through.

“-like this?!” One senior shouted, clenching a fist. “We’re students too!”

“No, you have been suspended for the last 2 weeks. You missed the deadline so you can’t attend.” Li Suren explained, shaking his head like he was regretful. “Such a shame too. Who knew the deadline was the day before your suspension was up?”

Jun Yibai grimaced at the remark. Knowing Li Suren, he was absolutely sure that wasn’t a coincidence.

“Are you messing with us? You know who we are so how dare you?”

Despite one of the seniors closing in on him, Li Suren remained steady, his smile calm and elegant. Only Jun Yibai could recognize the shimmer of mischievousness in those dark eyes.

“I know exactly who you are. You are my seniors who only just got out of the hospital after getting ambushed by some shady individuals.” He reported, tapping his chin in such a way that made the teens swallow deeply. “Witnesses say they saw you with them often but for some reason, you never tried to press charges. I wonder why?”

The seniors paled, clearly not expecting him to bring up those kinds of things. While they weren’t nearly as rich as Li Suren, their parents could buy just enough silence to keep their ‘incident’ under wraps.

As far as anyone else was concerned, they were mugged by hooligans and it was separate from their suspension.

Yet this junior knew more than even the principal knew.

Li Suren, not wanting to deal with this any further sighed, sounding put upon.

“Now, if you want, I could make an exception but then I’d have to give details to the replacement principal about why you missed the deadline.” He offered helpfully. “I wonder how understanding he’d be about your past deeds? Especially considering current circumstances.”

The prior principal was easy to deal with exactly because he was willing to look the other way when it benefited him or the school. While Li Suren was in the former, these guys were part of the latter.

The one taking his place now was so no-nonsense, he’d dig into any claim to the foundation. Bribes and blackmail wouldn’t sway this man.

The seniors paled, realizing they were in a bad situation.

“W-we-”

“You will remain at school and study, right?” He finished for them, his smile soft and respectful. “My seniors are soon to graduate and it’d be a shame if something was unearthed because they pushed too hard on the weak, right?”

The seniors cursed under their breath, only then realizing why a freshman managed to get to such a position that was usually reserved for upperclassmen.

They left with bitter hearts, cursing the omega under their breaths and promising retribution later.

This left Li Suren standing alone, letting out a breath. To others, it might be flighty to respond in such a way but Jun Yibai could tell it was from relief.

His omega was scared just now.

“Are you going to keep eavesdropping on me despite there being nothing else to observe?”

Jun Yibai flinched, clutching the wall he was hiding behind. Surely, he hadn’t noticed-

“I might not have a strong sense of smell but I can definitely tell when my Sweetie is nearby.” He chuckled, as if the beta’s thoughts were read aloud. “Especially considering how sweaty you are right now.”

He scowled, hating that he was caught. He let out a quiet sigh and stepped forward, brazenly walking up to the omega. Even though it had only been a week since they last saw each other, seeing Li Suren up close gave him a sense of relief.

A week with barely any contact was bound to make anyone worried.

“Letting yourself be cornered like that was stupid.” He chastised, his scowl deepening. “You’re lucky nothing happened despite being alone.”

Li Suren, as an omega, is smaller than most and could easily be overpowered. If those seniors chose to intimidate him with force, he’d be helpless.

Just the thought made him want to hit those guys.

“Ah, I love how nice you are even when you use that caustic tongue of yours.” He chuckled, looking amused despite the scolding. “Were you planning on rushing in like my knight in shining armor, sweetie?”

“…No.”

“Ah, look at you~ Blushing like that.”He teased, his grin growing. “How can my big, strong beta be so cute and cool at the same time?”

“Don’t call me cute.” He grumbled. Being called cute was insulting enough, but being told that by someone a million times more attractive than oneself was just cruel.

“But I can call you cool, right?”

Jun Yibai said nothing, turning away. The chuckle that echoed behind him should have irritated him but he was just relieved nothing had happened to him. Li Suren was small, like most omegas, so being cornered by several larger males should have been scary.

Yet the teen had looked them all in the eye and casually made his position clear. Even if they wanted to make trouble for him later, Jun Yibai was sure he could somehow handle it on his own.

“Yibai?”

Jun Yibai flinched, not expecting to be caught like this. Worse, it was Ruxing, the loudmouth.

Shit!

He peeked at him, noting the look of curiosity as he stared between the two. It must have been a sight, seeing him with the student president and seemingly so close. Especially considering how much Jun Yibai avoided such things.

“Lan Ruxing!”

Ruxing and Jun Yibai jumped at the growl, neither expecting the smaller teen to be glaring at the alpha so ruthlessly.

“Are you close to my sweetie?”

“Sweetie?” He echoed, glancing between the two. “W-who, Yibai?”

“You are calling him so casually!”

“At least I’m not calling him mine.”

“Sweetie is mine!” He declared, stepping in front of the beta. “I won’t let any more alphas bother him.”

While the gesture was appreciated on some level, Jun Yibai felt he should clarify things.

“Please stop saying things that people will misunderstand.” He grumbled, his tone more exasperated than annoyed. He, at some point, had gotten used to this kind of talk. Whether he was arguing over being called ‘sweetie’ or being claimed, no one could be sure.

“I’ve made sure we both keep our promise to you. Despite all the trouble and how much we both want to see you, we waited for you to give us the okay.” Li Suren crossed his arms and pouted. “I’ve let you own me just that little bit so I think I should be allowed to claim you just a little.”

Ah, now he was feeling a bit bad for not calling. Considering all the trouble going on, Li Suren and Chen Guiren were probably swamped with work. He expected them to reach out first but maybe that was too arrogant of him.

“Fine, but only this once.” He said, inching ever further into Li Suren's web.

The omega grinned, secretly happy he could get a win.

Ruxing, on the other hand, was just surprised that Jun Yibai could be softhearted toward anyone at all. Such blatant manipulation yet he was just going along with it.

Li Suren moved closer, retaining eye contact as he brushed his hand over Jun Yibai’s arm. It was a subtle gesture, one that wouldn’t warrant a thought. But this wasn’t that.

Alpha’s and omegas were creatures of instinct. Words were empty and could be retracted easily. Jun Yibai, as a beta, wouldn’t notice but had the two of them been alphas, the message would have been clear. The omega was making it clear who he chose as his mate.

An alpha’s scent and an omega’s claim?

This guy really is worth Song Yang’s attention, it seemed.

But the alpha had no interest in any of that. He just needed Jun Yibai as bait for his own beta.

“I don’t really care about all that but I still need classmate Jun, president.” He interrupted, smiling at the omega’s pout. “He’s my bait.”

“My sweetie isn’t your anything.” He argued, giving the teen a dirty look. “If you want your beta, I can tell you where he is.”

“Eh!?” The two boys turned to Li Suren, neither expecting that response.

Li Suren cocked a brow, looking mildly insulted.

“This school is mine.” The omega declared, showing off the proper attitude of a king toward his subjects. “Why would I be unaware of what happens in my place?”

Ah, he really is a king here. They both thought, mildly scared of what else this guy knew.

“If you want classmate Yang, he’d either be in the foreign language section of the library or the senior’s staircase, third-floor landing.” He reported, speaking as if reading a report. “Right now, he should be skipping PE due to his previous skirmishes so check the library.”

Again, it was scary how much he knew but Ruxing looked overjoyed, having been wondering why he didn’t see his beta before this.

“Thanks, pres~” He rushed off, carelessly skipping class to see his own beloved beta.

Jun Yibai felt a bit bad for letting such an overbearing guy loose on Song Yang but it also meant he was finally free from that guy. Moreover, now that his object of affection was located, the alpha would have no interest in bothering Jun Yibai anymore.

So his secret should be safe.

He sighed, feeling relaxed for the first time in days.

Li Suren beamed, rushing into the beta’s arms. He had just come from jogging so he was all sweaty yet the omega was very happy to be this close. His manly scent rubbing off on him~

Ah, what omega wouldn’t want to be scented like this?

“Sweetie!” Just as the temptation to be a bit more affectionate rose up, he caught the beta’s eye and froze. “S-sorry~”

Jun Yibai didn’t mind too much. Li Suren was no more clingy than Chen Guiren but in terms of who he preferred hugging him, it’d be Li Suren. He was soft and smelled nice so it wasn’t bad.

That and he felt less like a piece of meat on a platter when it was the omega. He was sure if, given the chance, Chen Guiren would eat him alive.

Li Suren was like an affectionate cat.

“Sweetie,” The omega cut off his thoughts, still sticking close to the beta. “I have a few more things to finish up before I can leave. Do you mind accompanying me?”

“Am I your bodyguard?” He asked, thinking about the last time he escorted the omega.

That was too much trouble.

“My sweetie is strong but today I need someone who can match me intellectually as my backup.”

Now that he finally looked at Li Suren, like really closely, he saw the teen was tired. His clothes were wrinkled at the edges and his hair was just a bit messy. When compared to his usually immaculate appearance, it screamed ‘stressed’.

“What needs to be done?”

Li Suren smiled, looking relieved as he pulled the taller teen forward.

“Just a few things I need to go over.” He said, leading him away from the field. “Some fresh eyes would really help and I know that those under me are as exhausted as I am.”

Jun Yibai couldn’t help but think about how busy Yang Ru had been lately.

“You’ve been working them hard.” He noted, cocking a brow. “Must be tough.”

“Ah, right! You and classmate Yang are friends, right? She is much better at working under pressure than you think.” He assured. “Compared to having to babysit that troublemaker, I’m sure she prefers paperwork.”

Oh right, Yang Ru and Chen Guiren are in the same class so she was bound to interact with that guy often.

A wave of sympathy flowed through him at that thought.

Speaking of-

“Where is Chen Guiren?” He asked, noting the grimace of the pale-haired teen. He was definitely pouting, wasn’t he?

“Him? He’s cleaning up the mess he made.”

***

“Thank you for your understanding, sir.” Zhuan Mu said cordially, despite the look of barely restrained anger on the principal’s face.

“Just leave already.” The elder man seethed, his clenched fist trembling on top of the table.

The alpha nodded respectfully and stood, leaving with his son. Just as the door shut, they heard a loud bang against the door.

Something was thrown and was probably aiming for Zhuan Mu’s head.

The man paid no mind, expecting such a thing. After being browbeaten into brushing off the incident and his son’s tangential involvement in it, what man would be happy about it? Especially one who purports to stand on principle?

Luckily, Zhuan Mu has always been good at finding compromises. Both parties might not be satisfied emotionally but the problem was always resolved.

“You know he’s gonna have it out for me now, right?” Chen Guiren grumbled, already seeing how much trouble he’s gonna be in later now that the principal will be breathing down his neck.

How can I cut class now? He sighed at the lost free time.

“Is that my problem?” His father’s words were cold and direct, cutting through the teens' attitude like a hot knife.

“N-no but-”

“No buts. You should be more concerned about what you are going to do after this.” He warned, narrowing his eyes at the teen.

Ah, the lecture has finally come.

Somehow, they’d not spoken about the incident at all this week. Both of his fathers had been too busy keeping the media from getting wind of their involvement in the scandal. Now that the principal had been silenced as well, there were no more distractions.

“What did I say about work and life?”

“Keep them separate.” Chen Guiren sighed, reciting the motto drilled into him from childhood.

“Yes, so explain to me why this occurred?”

While the matter was tied to Chen Guiren due to his delinquent ways, his fathers were under the impression he’d reformed since getting engaged to Li Suren. Yet somehow, hooligans had found his school and caused trouble.

It was only due to the novelty of seeing a mass of people accusing their frumpy-looking former principal of cheating on all of them that the matter wasn’t as big a deal as the gang. Youths getting rowdy was to be expected and was usually brushed aside as youthful ignorance.

Yet Zhuan Mu knew better, suspecting his son of hiding something.

“I don’t think this is a me thing, dad.” Chen Guiren maintained, following after his father. “I get into a few fights, sure, but nothing that warrants an ambush at my school. Moreover, isn’t it weird for anyone to do?”

To rush into a school to challenge a guy to a fight? Why go through all that trouble? Not only do they have to wrestle with school security but risk being trapped when the police are eventually called to pull them apart. Moreover, it was bound to be riskier as there were more witnesses.

No hooligan worth their salt would take such risks unless they wanted a spectacle.

“So you think it was a trap?” His father questioned, though he too had the same suspicions.

“None of those guys are dumb enough to do that without something going on behind them.”

“They were released from police custody strangely swiftly.” He replied, leaning against the wall. “They barely gave the police time to question them but they supposedly said your name quite frequently.”

It was a hassle to keep his son’s name out of the papers. Chen group was a household name. To have the heir implicated in an incident that resulted in an arrest would be bad for business.

It was only because witnesses and surveillance proved Chen Guiren wasn’t anywhere close by that they were able to keep him from being questioned.

But those caught were all very consistent in their claims.

“What will you do about it?” Zhuan Mu asked, gazing down at his son.

Zhuan Mu could, if he wanted to, handle things himself. After all, it was a parent's job to help their child when they were in over their heads.

But this time, he wanted to know how his son would handle it. He was, before anything else, their heir. He should be tested every once in a while or else he and his husband will have failed to raise their son properly.

“I’ll fix things.” The young alpha promised, sensing his father's intention. Of his father's, he preferred Zhuan Mu as he gave him more challenges to overcome. Some were more annoying than others but they all made him feel like he’d gained the enigmatic man’s respect.

It's just that this time, it was a bit more annoying than usual.

“Even if you handle things quickly, you’ll probably end up falling behind in your studies.” His father pointed out, reading the young man’s expression like a book. While this matter was important, Guiren was a student above all else.

Chen Guiren sighed, feeling upset.

He really didn’t care too much about his studies. His grades were middling at most, so there was no risk of flunking out. His main reason for being upset was that he knew that resolving this meant he couldn’t spend time with Jun Yibai.

Not being able to meet up at school is one thing but this on top of it meant he’d basically never see his beta until everything was resolved!

If he could, he’d ask Jun Yibai to help with this matter. The beta wasn’t as strong as an alpha but having a backup was never a bad thing. Plus he was smart so he was surely more useful than any random guy he pulled.

But as he thought about it, he realized he couldn't let Jun Yibai know about this. If he got involved, the beta was sure to distance himself from this drama. He’d only just gotten back with the teen and the one thing he hated more than attention was troublesome things.

Glancing out the window, he spotted a familiar head of white hair. Beside him was an even more familiar figure facing away from him.

As if connected by some fate, his eye locked with Li Suren. Words didn’t need to be exchanged as they knew each other's thoughts as well as their own. Their priorities were annoyingly always aligned.

The triumphant grin on the omega’s lips made him want to bite him.

Later, he promised himself, accepting defeat this time. Their priority was always the same, after all.

*****

AN: How this chapter came to be~

Me: [Writes 2k chapter]

[Looks on in horror at the corner she was about to write herself into.]

[Rewrites chapter while keeping what she already wrote]

Me: Oh hey, I forgot about this huge chunk of story I wrote a million years ago!

[Proceeds to mash the two parts until they fit.]

Basically, this chapter is a Frankenstein's monster of a chapter. I'm finally satisfied with what I wrote~