Chapter 6
The last class on Friday.
The homeroom teacher, abandoning her usual old-fashioned image, wore beautiful makeup, high heels, and a pretty dress, slowly walking into the classroom amidst the students’ cheers.
“Alright, settle down.”
“We’re not having a Chinese class today.”
Students: “Self-study?!”
The Chinese teacher scanned the classroom, took out the prepared materials, and said seriously, “Today will be our last physiology class in high school. I hope that after this lesson, everyone can seriously and properly understand our secondary genders.”
A chorus of groans filled the classroom. They were at a sensitive age, and the topic of secondary genders was always awkward.
The teacher coughed lightly, signaling them to quiet down, and continued, “Many students in our class have entered the stage of gland maturity. Some may have already experienced a rut or heat cycle, and some are about to face their first physiological test.”
A student raised their hand. “Teacher, do Betas need to listen to this class?”
The teacher gave him a stern look. “I hope all Beta students can also understand the effects of Alpha and Omega heat cycles so that you can provide timely assistance.”
Sensing the teacher’s seriousness, the students who had been grinning and joking earlier straightened up.
“Alphas are naturally attracted to Omegas. The vulnerable Omega group arouses the Alpha’s protective instincts. There’s a bond between them called pheromone compatibility, which is what we call ‘destined mates.'”
“The higher the pheromone compatibility between an Alpha and an Omega, the more they are affected by each other’s pheromones. They will instinctively want to possess each other, to bond with each other.”
“And the higher the pheromone compatibility, the more effective pheromone soothing will be.”
“If an Alpha in rut receives comfort from a highly compatible Omega, their negative emotions like violence, gloominess, and irritability will be greatly reduced. They will find solace in the Omega’s pheromones.”
“Similarly, if an Omega in heat receives comfort from an Alpha, the pain caused by their heat will gradually subside.”
An Alpha student raised his hand. “Teacher, what if I never meet my destined mate in my life?”
Teacher: “Even without meeting a destined mate, any Omega can soothe an Alpha in rut.”
A Beta student raised a question: “Teacher, what about Betas?”
The teacher shook her head regretfully. “The reason most Betas choose to build families with other Betas is because Betas don’t have pheromones. They can’t alleviate an Alpha’s rut, nor can they soothe an Omega’s heat.”
“To be precise, Alphas and Omegas are a natural pair. They can soothe each other. Even if they only have a weak pheromone compatibility, it’s still something Betas, who don’t have pheromones, can’t match.”
“With current medical technology, Alphas in rut and Omegas in heat can use suppressants to alleviate the effects of their cycles.”
“However, with age, excessive use of suppressants can lead to the body developing resistance. If an Alpha in rut doesn’t receive pheromone soothing from an Omega, they will fall into negative emotions and need to be monitored.”
Yan Weiqiu listened silently to the teacher. Despite the hot weather, he felt a chill run down his spine, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
He lowered his head slightly, his face pale.
Teacher: “Every Omega and Alpha needs to be responsible for their own actions. Always carry suppressants and gland patches.”
…
…
Ding-a-ling—
The bell rang for the end of class.
The teacher pushed up her glasses. “Alright, that’s all for today’s class. Class dismissed.”
Throughout the class, Yan Weiqiu had been feeling down.
He remembered Xiaobai’s last rut, when he was locked in his room for three days.
He didn’t know what had happened to Xiaobai during those three days.
He couldn’t smell Xiaobai’s pheromones, but he could clearly sense that Xiaobai had been very irritable during that time, holding back his emotions when talking to him, visibly tired and uncomfortable.
Just like the teacher said, as a Beta, he couldn’t really help.
Jiang Yuebai had cleaning duty today, so he would be leaving school later.
Yan Weiqiu packed his bag and went to Class 3.
“Xiaoqiu?” Jiang Yuebai’s face lit up with a surprised smile when he saw him, but the next second, he looked at him with concern. “Why do you look so pale?”
Yan Weiqiu said lightly, “I didn’t eat much at lunch. I’m a little hungry.”
Jiang Yuebai frowned and said, “Then wait for me for two minutes. I’ll be quick.”
“Mm.” Yan Weiqiu sat in Jiang Yuebai’s seat and glanced over his school supplies. There were a few folded pieces of scrap paper in his drawer. Curious, he opened them and took a look.
The delicate handwriting was very different from Jiang Yuebai’s usual messy scrawl.
The intimate words written on the paper made Yan Weiqiu speechless. Was the person described here the Jiang Yuebai he knew?
Suddenly, a large hand snatched the letter from his hand, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into the trash can.
The look of panic and shyness on Jiang Yuebai’s face at that moment made Yan Weiqiu’s heart tremble. His heartbeat skipped a beat. The questions he wanted to ask lingered on his lips but he couldn’t utter them. Finally, he managed to ask, “Are you dating someone?”
“That’s just something someone else wrote. I’m not that narcissistic.” Jiang Yuebai spoke at the same time, their voices overlapping.
“Huh?” Yan Weiqiu paused slightly.
Hearing his words, Jiang Yuebai also froze. “How could I be dating someone?!”
Yan Weiqiu was silent for a few seconds, then asked, “Then why do you look so shy?”
“I was…” Jiang Yuebai stammered, “I was afraid you’d laugh at me if you saw it.”
Yan Weiqiu’s pursed lips relaxed slightly, the wrinkles he had been clutching in his shirt smoothing out.
Jiang Yuebai ruffled his hair, his tone serious and earnest. “We agreed not to date in high school. I haven’t forgotten, and you shouldn’t either.”
Yan Weiqiu nodded. “I haven’t forgotten.”
“Especially those punks, toads wanting to eat swan meat, so shameless.” Jiang Yuebai muttered softly.
Yan Weiqiu: “Huh? What did you say?”
“Nothing. Let’s go.” Jiang Yuebai put his arm around his shoulders, picked up his bag, and pushed him towards the door.
After school, the school gate was crowded with street vendors.
Jiang Yuebai bought him an egg pancake and a grilled sausage. “Have a little something to tide you over. We can eat dinner when we get home.”
He wasn’t really hungry, but to maintain his earlier lie, he pretended to be hungry and took a few bites.
Jiang Yuebai ate the rest, not minding that he had already taken a bite.
“Do you want to take the bus home tonight?” Yan Weiqiu looked at the bus nearby; there were still seats available.
“Sure.”
Jiang Yuebai pulled him to the last row. Yan Weiqiu liked the breeze and sat by the window.
He was looking at the scenery outside when suddenly his ear was touched, and he instinctively flinched back.
“Don’t move.” Jiang Yuebai put a Bluetooth earphone in his ear.
[The sparrows outside the window…]
Yan Weiqiu clutched his shirt, trying to suppress the fluttering in his heart.
He could feel the warmth spreading across his face, a tingling sensation flowing through his body.
Jiang Yuebai was still relishing the soft touch on his fingertips.
Suddenly, he felt a weight on his shoulder. Yan Weiqiu was leaning against him.
It seemed like it had been a long, long time since they had been like this.
Outside the window, the setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and red.
The evening breeze gently swayed, brushing against the hair on his forehead.
The earphones held the secret longings of a young heart.
