The sun was gradually setting in the west, and as October approached, the temperature had already begun to cool. However, the red rubber track at Nanhua University’s sports training field was nearly soaked with sweat.
"800 meters done, lanes 8 and 9, cool-down jog!"
As soon as the whistle blew, a dozen shirtless young men collapsed onto the ground, groaning in exhaustion. Sweat dripped down, forming puddles beneath them. But just as they sat down, the coach's whistle blew again, waving them up: "Don’t sit! Get up and jog, quickly, quickly!"
Seeing the men sluggishly start jogging, the coach grabbed a bottle of water and walked towards the other side of the field.
"How many are left for the 1500 and 5000 meters?"
The coach twisted open his water bottle and handed it to a female coach dressed in a red and white tracksuit. She waved it off, glanced at her stopwatch, and looked back at the runners on the track. "Twenty doing the 400, only five left."
The coach took a swig of water, squatted down, and watched the small figures moving quickly on the track.
The student in the lead was particularly striking, pulling ahead by nearly 50 meters. His strides were large and steady, with well-defined muscles wrapped around his slender calves. He ran beautifully.
"56.06 seconds, 59.07, 60..."
The coach took another sip of water and glanced at the female coach’s electronic record board. The name of the top runner was:
Shi Ye
Primary gender: Male
Secondary gender: Beta
The coach frowned, capped his water bottle, and kept his gaze fixed on Shi Ye. In the next few laps, Shi Ye didn’t come in first anymore, placing third once and sixth another time.
After the 200-meter interval run ended, everyone looked worn out. The female coach led them to the 400-meter starting line: "This is the last one, hang in there!"
"Whoosh—!"
A gust of wind blew past, and the coach adjusted the brim of his hat, still focused on Shi Ye. Now running amidst the crowd, he was barely visible. The coach's expression relaxed, and he shook his head, taking another sip of water.
"Shi Ye, go for it!" the female coach whistled, shouting.
The coach raised his eyes, only to see that the figure who had been buried in the crowd was now at the front, pulling ahead by five or six meters. His strides grew larger, and he seemed to be speeding up.
In the blink of an eye, five meters became ten, then twenty, then fifty...
The female coach blew her whistle: "Stay with him! Keep up from behind! Shi Ye, push harder!"
"Beep!" The stopwatch clicked.
"54.08 seconds! 59, 60, 61..."
By the time training ended, the sun had already set. The coaches were busy packing up equipment while watching the last few figures jogging lazily on the field.
"These students are quite impressive," one coach remarked.
The female coach smiled, circling Shi Ye’s name on the list: "Yes, especially this one—Shi Ye. Out of twenty, he finished the last one in 54.08 seconds. That’s pretty remarkable. Even though he’s a Beta, his performance far exceeds most Alphas."
By the time they finished packing, the sky had grown dark.
One of the coaches returned from a phone call: "I’ll take them out for dinner tonight. How about you bring a few of your group along?"
"Sure."
The female coach sent a message in the group chat, and soon, people gathered in threes and fours.
The coach looked around: "Hey, where’s that Shi Ye kid?"
The female coach waved it off: "Oh, don’t bother calling him. He’s already left. He’s shy and didn’t want to stay without a shirt on, afraid the Omegas might see him."
At this, the Alphas burst into laughter.
—
"Whoosh—!"
Shi Ye pulled back the shower curtain, stepping out of the bathroom with a basin in his arms. A towel was wrapped around his waist, and his body was still dripping wet. Water trickled down his defined abs, disappearing into his waist. His tanned skin, steamed by the hot water, glowed with a reddish hue.
This caught the attention of the nearby Alpha who was changing clothes, glancing repeatedly in Shi Ye’s direction.
The public shower at the sports school was reserved for students after training, mostly Betas and Alphas, who shared it. Omegas used a different shower adjacent to the music and dance school.
"Hey man, what do you train in?" the Alpha asked as he walked over, towel in hand.
"Bang!"
Shi Ye slammed his locker shut.
The Alpha was startled, pausing in his tracks.
Shi Ye lowered his eyelids, shook out his black T-shirt, and pulled it over his head.
"Chinese modern combat."
"Huh?"
"Screw off."
"…"
The Alpha rubbed his nose awkwardly, turned around, and hurriedly dressed before walking off.
Shi Ye finished tidying up, glanced in the mirror, and headed out towards the cafeteria. His phone buzzed twice in his pocket. He pulled it out and unlocked it, revealing a dozen unread WeChat messages.
Frowning, he shoved the phone back in his pocket, bought a bowl of wonton soup, a multigrain pancake, and two pork buns from the cafeteria. After eating half of the pancake, he took his phone out again.
He opened the first message at the top of the list.
It was from the class representative, an Alpha named Cheng Shuo. After exchanging contact info, Cheng Shuo had been constantly messaging him, not only reminding him about student assignments but also chatting flirtatiously.
10:30 AM Cheng Shuo: Saw this on the confession wall, looks just like you.
Cheng Shuo: Do you really like cats?
Attached was a blurry photo of a boy in a red and white baseball jacket squatting by a flowerbed, surrounded by two stray cats.
12:00 PM Cheng Shuo: There’s a cat café on Commercial Street offering 20% off on weekends. Wanna go together?
4:58 PM Cheng Shuo: I heard you have several stray cats. Is that true?
Cheng Shuo: You’re so kind.
The last message was just now.
Cheng Shuo: I want to be your cat.
Cheng Shuo: (Cat covering face emoji)
Shi Ye’s brow furrowed deeply, goosebumps rising all over. The food he had just swallowed felt like it was about to come back up. He put down his half-eaten pancake and typed a reply with both hands.
ShiYeBBQ: If you want to be my cat, you’ll need to be neutered.
ShiYeBBQ: [Curious] [Click to watch] Full HD tutorial on wild boar castration [graphic content]
Watching the message status flicker with "Typing..." for a long time without receiving a reply, Shi Ye clicked on Cheng Shuo’s profile, only to find he had already been blocked.
Shi Ye smugly shook his leg, scoffing: "Idiot."
He stuffed the remaining half of the pancake into his mouth in one go, drank a sip of wonton soup, and opened the next message.
It was from his best friend and roommate, Jiang Chicheng. Since he didn’t have any classes today, Shi Ye had asked him to take his seven-month-old kitten, Bei Bei, for neutering.
3:23 PM
0.o: [Image]
0.o: [Image]
0.o: [Image]
0.o: [Image]
Jiang Chicheng had sent over a dozen photos, all of different wounds on his body from being scratched by the cat. Shi Ye scrolled through them all, only opening the last one, where the scratch hadn’t even broken the skin.
0.o: Compensation.
ShiYeBBQ: [Transfer] 1.00 yuan [Note: Band-aid]
ShiYeBBQ: The cat’s vaccinated, you can check the records.
Shi Ye waited for a while, but seeing that no one replied, he closed his phone, took a big bite of a stuffed pancake, and while eating, began watching the AO idol drama playing on the big screen in the cafeteria, enjoying it immensely.
—
The decor of the psychology consultation room was simple and cozy, with children’s drawings on the walls and bookshelves filled with textbooks and popular novels for middle and high school students. The consultation area looked more like a family living room, with green plants placed on the smooth glass table.
Jiang Chicheng sat on a lazy couch, with an airline pet carrier by his feet, and his left hand searching for something in a document folder.
He was wearing a red-and-white baseball jacket, his long hair dyed entirely blonde, except for the black roots starting to grow out. The upper half of his hair was tied into a small knot at the back of his head.
He seemed to spend little time outdoors, as his skin was even fairer than an omega’s. Several metallic earrings hung from his right ear, and with his head lowered, the thin skin of his eyelids revealed visible blood vessels. His long eyelashes curved outwards, giving him a cold and unapproachable appearance.
But when he raised his eyes, the amber color of his eyes softened, and he seemed like a completely different person.
Jiang Chicheng placed a few medical reports on the table and pushed them forward. "Hello, Dr. Chen. These are my medical examination reports. Though they were issued by our family's private doctor, I assure you that there was no falsification to protect my alpha dignity. All examination records are detailed and verifiable. Please take a look."
The psychological consultant, Dr. Chen, was a middle-aged male beta with reading glasses, holding a thermal cup. The smile lines at the corners of his eyes made him seem very approachable.
Dr. Chen hummed, adjusted his glasses, and picked up the reports.
The first page was titled "International Index of Erectile Function Questionnaire-5 for Alphas." The report's conclusion: No erectile dysfunction.
Dr. Chen frowned slightly and continued reading.
The second page was a routine blood test. Results: Normal.
The third page was a test for intracavernosal injection of vasoactive agents. Results: Normal.
Dr. Chen cleared his throat and quickly skimmed through the rest.
The following pages contained various tests and reports on gland and penile function monitoring, including pheromone level tests, nocturnal penile tumescence tests, and tests for penile rigidity under auditory stimulation... all comprehensive and thorough.
Dr. Chen didn’t need to read further. Just from seeing the prominent "S" in the pheromone level column, combined with Jiang Chicheng’s crossed legs and slightly raised chin, he could tell that his sexual function was not only healthy but quite exceptional.
Dr. Chen closed the report and said, "Ms. Jiang has already described your symptoms to me, but I’d like to confirm—what do you think your issue is?"
Jiang Chicheng pulled the lazy couch forward and leaned in sharply, his expression suddenly becoming serious. "As you can see, my glands are well-developed, and my sexual function is excellent. My sperm is also healthy and active. But Dr. Chen, there is one issue that has plagued me since puberty, nearly ten years now! For ten years, I have been trapped in the shadows of self-doubt and insecurity!"
Dr. Chen’s expression also grew serious. He leaned in closer, ready to hear the problem.
"I cannot feel sexual arousal toward omegas!"
Jiang Chicheng said this with frustration, his hand clenched into a fist.
Dr. Chen frowned, sensing something off. He silently flipped back to the first questionnaire and looked at the section on libido.
In the past four weeks, how often have you felt sexual desire?
The circled option was: Almost always or constantly.
In the past four weeks, how would you rate your level of sexual desire?
The circled option was: Very high.
Suspicion flickered in Dr. Chen’s eyes. He leaned back and asked, "Mr. Jiang, are you currently in a relationship with a boyfriend or girlfriend?"
Jiang Chicheng thought for a moment before nodding. "Yes, he is a very beautiful and considerate male omega."
Dr. Chen's frown relaxed. "How would you describe your sexual experiences together? Are you satisfied with them?"
Jiang Chicheng looked horrified and waved his hands. "Doctor, you misunderstand! We’re still students, we don’t engage in such messy things!"
Oh, so it’s a pure love situation. Dr. Chen looked at the seemingly trendy alpha in front of him, not expecting him to be a defender of pure love.
Dr. Chen picked up his pen and jotted something down in his notebook, asking while writing, "Are you living together?"
"He stays in the dorms, and I rent a place off-campus with my buddies. We’re from different schools."
"Oh, so you don’t attend classes together? How often do you see each other, including video and voice calls?"
Jiang Chicheng counted on his fingers for a while.
"Once a month?"
“!?”
"It’s been too long, I can’t really remember."
“Scratch——”
The pen tore through the paper.
Dr. Chen’s facial muscles twitched slightly. He slowly and forcefully pulled the page out, crumpled it into a ball in his palm, and threw it into the trash can. Then, adjusting his glasses, he smiled and asked, "Mr. Jiang, the person who arouses your sexual desire... isn't your boyfriend?"
"Of course not! He’s an omega, and it takes him eight minutes to run 1500 meters. He has no stamina."
Dr. Chen thought to himself, is he choosing a boyfriend or an athlete? Such high standards?
"Then who is it that makes you feel this frequent desire..."
Jiang Chicheng’s phone on the table lit up, and two messages popped up. He raised his hand, signaling for Dr. Chen to wait. He picked up his phone, unlocked it, and upon seeing who had sent the messages, a flash of excitement immediately spread across his face.
"Sorry, my roommate just replied to my message. Let me check it real quick."
Dr. Chen nodded, watching his demeanor and actions carefully.
He was holding his phone with both hands, scrolling back and forth through the chat window, seemingly reviewing the conversation again. His cheeks were flushed, and the corners of his mouth were stretched so wide they almost reached his ears.
Dr. Chen had a vague suspicion and began writing on the paper again.
A few minutes later, Jiang Chicheng put down his phone, signaling that they could continue.
Dr. Chen asked, "So the person who makes you feel such frequent sexual arousal is your roommate?"
"Yes, he's a beta."
Dr. Chen nodded, guessing that Jiang Chicheng was insensitive to omega pheromones and possibly had a tendency towards AB relationships. While writing, he asked, "Nowadays, with more open-minded thinking, it's not uncommon for emotions to develop between an alpha and a beta, but many don't end well. In your opinion, what makes a beta more attractive to you compared to an omega?"
At the mention of this, Jiang Chicheng leaned forward, unable to hide his excitement, his amber eyes gleaming: "My roommate is a national first-class athlete. He can run 1500 meters in 3 minutes and 38 seconds!"
"Scratch—"
The pen tore the paper once again. Dr. Chen set the pen down, smiling as he removed his glasses and rubbed his aching eyes.
Diagnosis confirmed.
It wasn't the gender identity disorder his sister suspected, nor was it the alpha trauma stress disorder Jiang Chicheng himself thought he had.
He was simply lovestruck.
Purely and utterly lovestruck.
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