Zhang Yunli had already opened the door and was waiting for them. When he saw Pei Yao, a puzzled look crossed his face, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he pulled Mu Chenxing over and looked him up and down.
“Where are you hurt?”
Mu Chenxing held out his hands: “Just a minor injury. Some antiseptic spray will do.”
The skin on his palms was scraped raw in places, with bits of flesh turned up, but the wounds weren’t serious—they had mostly scabbed over already.
Zhang Yunli frowned and dragged him into the side room, grabbing a bottle of antiseptic. “Weren’t you going for a test? How did you mess up your hands like this?”
Mu Chenxing pulled his hand back, not letting him spray. “Want to draw some blood while we’re at it? Didn’t you say we needed to test my pheromones or whatever?”
Zhang Yunli: “……”
He grabbed Mu Chenxing’s palm and quickly sprayed the liquid anyway, grumbling, “You think I don’t know your data already? Why bother drawing blood?”
Mu Chenxing: “…”
He instinctively glanced at Pei Yao, who was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
Pei Yao winked at him flirtatiously.
Mu Chenxing was speechless. He turned back to watch Zhang Yunli spray the medicine.
The misty spray brought a cool sensation to his palms, and the faint new scabs began to itch.
Once Zhang Yunli finished spraying, he checked Mu Chenxing for other injuries, set down the bottle, and picked up a pair of tweezers to clip away the peeled skin.
“You little brat, always causing trouble. Look at all this skin rubbed raw—hope it hurts like hell.”
Mu Chenxing just lowered his gaze to look, then asked something else. “Teacher, did you study nursing and medicine too? How come you know how to treat wounds?”
Zhang Yunli: “Medical care goes hand in hand with it. I studied biology and research pheromones—human anatomy, physiology, basic medicine, all kinds of knowledge. If I couldn’t even handle basic first aid, I’d need to go back to school.”
Mu Chenxing: “You study all that?”
Zhang Yunli finished with one hand and moved to the other without looking up. “Of course. Whether it’s research or medical care, lives are on the line. Learning more never hurts.”
“I see…” Mu Chenxing mused thoughtfully.
Learning more, huh?
His gaze shifted to Pei Yao.
The other man was staring at his hands, his face expressionless—no trace of his usual sleazy playfulness. Then he suddenly looked up, and a smile appeared.
Mu Chenxing ignored the clumsy face-switch and zoned out staring at that pancake face.
Pei Yao had guarded the border for years, earning his military merits with real blood and steel… How many injuries has he suffered over the years?
Zhang Yunli finished with the peeled skin and switched to another spray, dousing Mu Chenxing’s palms. “All done. No water for an hour, and wash up later tonight.”
Mu Chenxing snapped back and nodded.
“Now, explain how you got hurt.” Zhang Yunli set down the bottle and glanced at Pei Yao nearby.
Mu Chenxing answered honestly. “Rope climbing. It’s all on the arms to support your weight—no training, and this happens.”
Zhang Yunli frowned. “Why are you messing around with that stuff? You—especially—with your scores already so good. No need to push yourself this hard.”
Mu Chenxing: “It’s not hard, Teacher. I like it.”
Physical training, competition—it was in most men’s nature.
Zhang Yunli sighed. “I don’t know what your family… How did you end up like this?”
“Teacher, no need for those doubts.” Mu Chenxing flashed a confident smile. “Even the Alphas who win with physique can’t beat me. If they can do it, so can I—and I like doing it. No problem there.”
Pei Yao, leaning against the doorframe, had lost his smile at some point. He stared at Mu Chenxing unblinkingly.
Zhang Yunli sighed. “You went for a test today and came back with scraped hands. If you transfer to another college, won’t you be injured every day?”
Mu Chenxing glanced at Pei Yao. “Not transferring anymore.”
Zhang Yunli was surprised and opened his mouth—
“Why?” But Pei Yao voiced the question first.
Zhang Yunli shot him a puzzled look, but Pei Yao only had eyes for Mu Chenxing.
Mu Chenxing grinned. “Because I decided to try balancing both.”
Zhang Yunli: “What do you mean?”
Pei Yao narrowed his eyes.
Mu Chenxing: “Today’s training hall wasn’t what I expected.”
He’d tried the Military Academy’s physical tests to see the differences.
But the Training Hall he’d toured today, and the gear he’d gathered before for Omega training, all pointed to one conclusion—as long as basic human structure stayed the same, most of what he’d learned before still applied.
“Since I made the finals in four events without training in other colleges, I can do the rest too.”
“So, I’ll train myself.”
“But the Nursing Major I busted my ass to get into is important too. And I can’t bear to leave my roommates and classmates.”
Pei Yao’s voice was neutral: “Aren’t you a dunce? Training’s intense—how’s a dunce like you gonna balance it?”
Mu Chenxing snorted. “Don’t underestimate me. I’m a dunce now, doesn’t mean I will be later.”
Pei Yao pressed: “Transferring gives you better training plans. On the battlefield later, better promotions and more merits.”
Mu Chenxing raised his chin. “What? Does the Military District only look at majors for merits now?”
Pei Yao: “Merits come from combat, but picking the right path smooths the road ahead.”
Mu Chenxing lifted his chin higher. “Mu Chenxing doesn’t need an easy road. Whatever path I take, it’s my call!”
The 18-year-old youth had none of an Omega’s timidity or an Alpha’s hotheaded rashness—just Mu Chenxing’s own spirited confidence and bold flair.
The black eyes hidden under his disguise shone brilliantly, staring right back at him.
Zhang Yunli was stunned. “You’re still planning to earn merits?! Self-train for it?! Are you insane?”
Mu Chenxing: “……”
He quickly changed his tone. “Teacher, I was just saying. I’m only a freshman—maybe I’ll become a genius in nursing and medicine, invent new drugs and tech.”
Zhang Yunli: “……”
Then he got kicked out of the office.
Before the door shut, Zhang Yunli tossed after him, “Stay away from that Pei guy—hanging with him will rot your brain.”
Mu Chenxing blinked and looked at Pei Yao, who got booted out too. “Does he know who you are?”
Pei Yao spread his hands. “My words just now, and your attitude toward me? Of course he knows.”
Mu Chenxing frowned, recalling. “My attitude toward you? What attitude?”
Pei Yao rubbed his chin. “Kinda like disowning your own guy—embarrassed to show him off but won’t dump him.”
Mu Chenxing: “……”
He turned and walked off.
“Hey, hey.” Pei Yao hurried after. “You asked, Little Star—you can’t get mad now.”
“Scram!”
“No can do. It’s almost seven—I still gotta eat dinner with you. Starving me is whatever, but if my Little Star goes hungry, it’ll break my heart.”
“……”
“What to eat? Galaxy Star specialties? Or try my hometown dishes?”
Mu Chenxing walked a few steps, couldn’t hold back, and asked on purpose. “Which is your hometown dish?”
Pei Yao paused, then laughed. “Not even pretending anymore?”
“If you don’t wanna say—”
“Firefly Star, my hometown Firefly Star. But Firefly Star food’s heavy on flavor—you might not like it.”
Mu Chenxing: “We’ll try that today—which Cafeteria has it?”
Pei Yao leaned in with a grin. “Star, you starting to get to know me?”
Mu Chenxing met his gaze frankly. “Yeah.”
Pei Yao froze.
Mu Chenxing slapped his face away. “Don’t point that pancake face at me—it’s annoying.”
Pei Yao: “…”
Mu Chenxing jerked his chin. “Lead the way. Oh, I blocked my dad—no money coming. You’re paying.”
Pei Yao: “……What’d he do?”
Mu Chenxing: “Paying or not?”
“Paying, paying.” Pei Yao agreed, then rubbed his chin. “So, guess I gotta start keeping my little boyfriend now?”
Mu Chenxing: “……Just dinner. Why you yapping? You gave me tens of thousands last time—good for two years. Later I’ll win scholarships and prizes—no need for your keep.”
Pei Yao chuckled. “That confident?”
Mu Chenxing beamed with confidence. “Of course.”
Pei Yao laughed low. “Alright, alright—Little Star wants independence, got it.” He winked again. “Don’t worry, your boyfriend will support you from the shadows~”
What kind of support…? Whatever, food first.
“Hurry and lead.”
“You got it~”
The two detoured to a Cafeteria in Command College. Pei Yao led him to a private booth and ordered a table full of dishes.
Everything looked green—even the sides were loaded with green strips, like string beans.
Pei Yao said heavy flavors?
Mu Chenxing eyed him suspiciously and tentatively picked up a chopstickful—
Oh, chilies.
So Firefly Star’s “fire” meant spicy.
Mu Chenxing actually liked spice, and he was starving now. No more words—he picked up his bowl and dug in.
One chopstick from this dish—tasty. Another.
Next dish—two or three chopsticks.
Pei Yao raised a brow. “Looks like you really like this cuisine.”
Mu Chenxing’s mouth was full; he just nodded.
Pei Yao smiled. “You really are…” He picked some for him. “Then we’ll come here for dates from now on.”
Mu Chenxing: “……”
He shot a blank look at the pancake face across and ignored him.
Pei Yao picked up his bowl too. “I’ll eat slow—you take your time.”
Last time at the Association with Xu Zhicheng and the others counted as eating together—they’d been super proper under the teacher’s and Omegas’ eyes.
But Mu Chenxing had seen plenty of Alphas inhaling food in the Cafeteria—that was real inhaling, portions by the basin.
Pei Yao was oily-tongued daily, but at core an Alpha—a Super High Physique Alpha.
His appetite…
By the time Mu Chenxing finished two bowls and set down his chopsticks, the seven dishes and soup pot were mostly cleared.
He set his down, and Pei Yao asked, “Full?”
“Yeah.”
Pei Yao glanced over and ladled him a bowl of soup. “Have a bit more—this one’s clear and sweet.”
“……Okay, thanks.”
Then Mu Chenxing watched Pei Yao pull over a half-empty plate and scrape leftovers and rice into it.
“……What are you doing?”
Pei Yao smiled at him. “Faster this way.”
Mu Chenxing: “……All mixed like pig slop—still edible?”
Pei Yao: “It all mixes in your gut anyway.”
He started shoveling the colorful slop-rice fast.
Mu Chenxing: “……”
What an appetite-killer.
Pei Yao seemed to barely chew, inhaling half the plate in no time—like a famine victim starved ten days.
……Totally opposite from their first meal, when he hadn’t touched a thing.
Mu Chenxing sipped two mouthfuls of soup and asked casually, “Last time you treated me, why didn’t you eat? Full already before finding me?”
Pei Yao: “……”
He swallowed and sighed helplessly. “Little Star, I know you lack common sense…”
Mu Chenxing glared. “None of your business.”
Pei Yao: “Not criticizing.”
He pointed at himself. “Remember why I let you bite me before?”
Mu Chenxing: “……Pheromone overload.”
Pei Yao wagged his chopsticks. “Not just simple overload.”
He preened. “Your boyfriend’s a rare Super High Physique Alpha in the whole Alliance—high-energy overload briefly messes with the senses, triggers Five Senses Disorder.”
“Not scared of food going wrong. Scared I’d eat my own tongue.”
Mu Chenxing: “……”
He vaguely recalled Zhang Yunli mentioning Five Senses Disorder—but wasn’t that the debilitating state after Alpha pheromone rampage?
Looking at the guy’s goofy grin across, he decisively pulled up his Holo-Screen—
Pei Yao: “Tch, don’t trust me? Super High Physique Alpha secrets aren’t just online.”
Mu Chenxing: “…”
He closed the screen and asked, “If there’s Super High Physique Alphas, are there Super High Physique Omegas?”
Pei Yao kept shoveling, mumbling. “Dunno, but I guess no.”
Mu Chenxing: “Why?”
Pei Yao swallowed. “From ancient times, Omegas have weak physiques. Only last few centuries have average Omegas been healthier. One as lively and energetic as you? Never seen.”
Mu Chenxing: “I see……”
He pondered. “Why are Omegas’ physiques so poor?”
“Pheromones’ influence,” Pei Yao said, lowering his head to shovel rice into his mouth.
Mu Chenxing pondered this. “Alphas are affected by pheromones too.”
Pei Yao chewed his food and glanced at him.
Mu Chenxing mimicked his usual habit of rubbing his chin. “There’s an old saying back home…”
Pei Yao kept chewing, his eyes fixed on him.
“Within a hundred paces, there must be an antidote.” Mu Chenxing’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “Could it be that an Alpha’s pheromones and physique are the perfect antidote for an Omega, and vice versa?”
Pei Yao froze mid-bite.
Mu Chenxing’s eyes sparkled even brighter. “Did I just discover a groundbreaking theory in pheromone studies? Am I about to become the founder of a major academic doctrine? Will I rake in tons of prizes and grants?”
Pei Yao swallowed his food and looked at him with pity. “Little Starry, do you know why Alphas always try to marry Omegas? And why Omegas do the same?”
Mu Chenxing got it instantly and waved him off in a panic. “Okay, stop right there! Don’t say another word!”
But Pei Yao pressed on, his expression turning pained and earnest. “Your knowledge of physiology is so lacking—it’s like you’re still in elementary school… How am I supposed to devour you like this?! I see you every day, my body can’t take it, but mentally, I just can’t bring myself to! Do you have any idea how much I’m suffering?!”
Mu Chenxing: “…”
Maybe I shouldn’t try to understand this guy after all?
Dealing with a rogue like him without laying a hand on him—or even if I do, not being able to land a hit—is pure torture.
