"You're welcome." Jiang Shuyi looked at her with a smug smile.

However, after walking for a while, Jiang Shuyi noticed that there was sweat appearing on Wen Yao's forehead.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

Jiang Shuyi followed her with a puzzled expression.

"No." Wen Yao quickened her pace as she saw Jiang Shuyi coming closer.

"Oh..." Watching Wen Yao walk away coldly, Jiang Shuyi's earlier sense of pride vanished.

The two arrived at the equipment room of the gym.

As soon as they entered the cramped equipment room, the distance that had separated them began to shrink.

Wen Yao placed one hand on the equipment rack, turning her back to Jiang Shuyi. "I need to return the registration form, you can head back first."

Jiang Shuyi looked at her in confusion. "Let's go together, it's just returning a form, right?"

"Jiang Shuyi," Wen Yao pressed her forehead, "I don't want to say it a second time. Please go back first, okay?"

"Why?" Jiang Shuyi looked at her in disbelief.

Wen Yao sighed and explained reluctantly, "I don't really want to be with you right now."

As soon as those words left her mouth, Jiang Shuyi felt a discomfort in her heart.

"Do you really dislike me that much? Ignoring me and not wanting to be with me..."

"I'm just trying to help you, how could you—" Jiang Shuyi hadn't finished her sentence when Wen Yao cut her off.

"Sorry, but my matters have nothing to do with you, Jiang Shuyi." Wen Yao turned her back to Jiang Shuyi and put the sports equipment back on the rack.

'...have nothing to do with you.'

Jiang Shuyi felt a bit hurt and stuffed her hands into her pockets.

"Is that so?"

"Then you'd better never speak to me again for the rest of your life."

With a loud bang, Jiang Shuyi slammed the door of the equipment room and walked out of the gym without saying a word.

She was getting angrier the more she thought about it.

Why did she suddenly feel the urge to care about Wen Yao today?

Although Professor Wen, eighteen years later, was also a very indifferent person, Jiang Shuyi had never heard her say such things.

It was infuriating.

Jiang Shuyi wiped her face.

---

Hearing the loud bang from the equipment room, Wen Yao weakly slid down the door, leaning against it as she began to search for the syringe and suppressants in her clothes.

She knew her heat hadn't completely passed, and she instinctively felt a bit of dependence on the Alpha who had marked her.

She had thought that being marked once would be enough.

But she didn't expect that the so-called scent could awaken someone's memories in an instant.

In the moment Jiang Shuyi gently supported her, Wen Yao found herself unable to escape the memories of that day, the Alpha's warmth, their embrace, and the marking that had left her mind in a haze...

It felt as if just a little pheromone could shatter her long-held pride in her rationality.

Pheromones made one feel no longer like themselves, a kind of disease...

Wen Yao trembled as she took a 5ml vial from her pocket, shook it, and smoothly drew up the contents with a syringe, then injected it into her vein.

The medicine hadn't taken effect yet, but the pain and craving for pheromones made her clench her fingers tightly.

Tears, brought on by the pain, slowly fell from the corners of her eyes as she felt the beast-like restlessness inside her gradually subside.

Wen Yao weakly buried her head between her arms, slowly wiping away her tears.

---

During the evening class, the physics teacher took out a set of papers and started a surprise test.

The whole class groaned in discontent.

Before long, the class bell rang. The physics teacher gathered his books and said, "I have a meeting next period. Wen Yao, please collect the papers and put them on my desk."

Wen Yao responded and slowly began to collect the papers.

When she reached Jiang Shuyi, she calmly asked, "Are you done writing?"

It had been a week since that day in the sports equipment room. Jiang Shuyi kept her word and hadn't spoken to Wen Yao again, except when Wen Yao came to collect her assignments.

With her back to Wen Yao, Jiang Shuyi casually pushed the paper over.

"..." Wen Yao glanced at her, silently took the paper, which was filled with writing and surprisingly logical thoughts.

"Jiang Shuyi, do you want to play basketball?" Song Jinxi called out from the door, holding a ball. "There are still twenty minutes before evening self-study, we can play for a bit."

"Oh, coming." Jiang Shuyi smiled at Song Jinxi, picked up her jacket, and walked out. She turned her back to Wen Yao and said softly, "Perfect, that way someone doesn't have to be in the same space as me. Isn't that great?"

Wen Yao lowered her gaze, slowly picking up the test paper from Jiang Shuyi's desk, and walked toward the office without saying a word.

As Jiang Shuyi went down the stairs, she couldn't help but click her tongue.

What was she doing just now?

To her, Wen Yao was just a child, yet here she was, being sarcastic to a kid...

But every time she saw Wen Yao's indifferent face, she couldn't help but remember what Wen Yao had said that day, making her angry.

It was really infuriating.

---

On the basketball court.

Since it was break time, Jiang Shuyi didn't change into sportswear and stood on the court in her white shirt. As she ran, the wind lifted her shirt, and her eyes sparkled with a carefree spirit.

Song Jinxi reached out for the ball in Jiang Shuyi's hands.

Jiang Shuyi didn't let her succeed, skillfully faking a move to get past her.

She had always excelled in this, quickly shooting and drawing cheers from many onlookers in the playground.

Both Song Jinxi and Jiang Shuyi were tall Alphas, and their aggressive energy radiated while playing, making the watching Omegas blush and their hearts race.

Once on the court, Jiang Shuyi couldn't help but show off. Every time she scored, she flirtatiously winked at the students in the audience cheering for her, drawing even louder cheers.

"Go, Senior Jiang!"

Jiang Shuyi smiled at their reactions.

Song Jinxi clicked her tongue, having never seen such a show-off Alpha.

From the window of the physics office, one could see the happenings on the school's basketball court.

After putting down the test papers, Wen Yao quietly looked out the window.

That place was surrounded by a group of Omegas, eagerly calling out the name of the flamboyant Alpha.

Upon hearing the cheers with her name, Jiang Shuyi smiled like a sunflower in the center of the court, scoring several baskets in a row.

Jiang Shuyi's tie had slipped to her back, and the top two buttons of her shirt were casually undone, with hot sweat sliding down from her forehead to her collarbone.

Wen Yao watched the Alpha, her fingers twitching slightly, and for some reason, she averted her gaze and hurriedly left the physics office.

---

As evening self-study began, it suddenly started to rain.

Some classmates were discussing Jiang Shuyi's basketball game from earlier.

Wen Yao continued to write problems without paying attention.

The rain in Huan City in October always felt bone-chillingly cold.

Wen Yao knew it would rain at night, so she didn't forget to bring an umbrella.

Her umbrella was a blue curved-handle one, which she had placed on the umbrella rack behind the classroom door as soon as she arrived at school that morning.

After evening self-study, she packed her bag and walked to the door, only to find that although there were still a few umbrellas left, her own was missing.

She paused for a moment in place.

"...What's wrong?" Deng Ningxuan asked as he took his umbrella from the rack and looked at Wen Yao. "Didn't bring an umbrella? That's quite rare for you."

"It was taken by someone." Wen Yao replied expressionlessly.

Deng Ningxuan awkwardly responded, "How could that be? Maybe another student accidentally took it by mistake?"

Since they were all high school students, it was hard to imagine that a knowledgeable and cultured person would steal an ordinary umbrella.

"If it was mixed up, there should be a similar umbrella left behind, but there isn't one here." Wen Yao insisted.

Deng Ningxuan said "Hmm" and smiled at her, "Then how about this, I'll ask the classmates tomorrow to help you find your umbrella. For today, let me take you home?"

"No need—"

"Deng Ningxuan, don't you know how to take turns?"

Just as Wen Yao was about to speak, an Omega's voice came from behind her.

The speaker was Xie Mengting. "You agreed to me first, so why are you sending someone who came later?"

Xie Mengting emphasized the words "came later" clearly and loudly, drawing the attention of the remaining classmates.

Deng Ningxuan looked at Xie Mengting and explained earnestly, "But Wen Yao lives farther away, and your home is right across from the school, isn't it? If she goes back like this without an umbrella, as an Omega, she'll definitely catch a cold."

Deng Ningxuan explained earnestly, but this explanation was clearly not accepted by Xie Mengting.

"But I was the one who made plans with you first, why should I have to get soaked in the rain?" Xie Mengting crossed her arms and glared at Wen Yao. "You know the order of arrival, right? Why are you cutting in line?"

Wen Yao closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head as she wanted to leave quickly. "Deng Ningxuan, I can go back without an umbrella, you don't need to see me off."

Xie Mengting nodded, crossing her arms, but Deng Ningxuan was unwilling. He hurriedly ran over to block Wen Yao. "Wen Yao, don't rush to leave!"

He glanced at Xie Mengting, and his speech sped up as if trying to cover something. "You live so far away, and without an umbrella, you'll catch a cold. You're an Omega, and it's so chilly now. Let me take you home..."

Deng Ningxuan looked at Xie Mengting. "Xie Mengting, can I have Gu Haizhou take you home?"

Xie Mengting was displeased upon hearing this. "Deng Ningxuan, what do you mean? Why can't Gu Haizhou take Wen Yao home?"

"But..."

"But what? All I know is you agreed to me!" Xie Mengting stomped her foot in anger.

"I'm leaving first." Wen Yao felt a bit tired and lifted her backpack, ready to head outside.

"Wen Yao, wait a moment. I can convince her," Deng Ningxuan reached out to grab Wen Yao's wrist.

A hand suddenly swatted his away.

"No need to convince her, I'll take her home." Jiang Shuyi calmly knocked Deng Ningxuan's hand down.

Jiang Shuyi put her hand back in her pocket, looking coldly at Wen Yao. "Is that okay?"

Wen Yao silently glanced at the Alpha protecting her, and just as she was about to refuse, she saw Deng Ningxuan, who seemed to want to say something.

"...Okay." Wen Yao nodded.

---

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