After Transmigrating as a Man-Eater Omega, I Got the Protagonist Shou - Chapter 1

The fluorescent lights in the restroom buzzed, casting a sickly white glow onto the tiles.

Qiao Xingyin’s back was pressed against the cold wall, his breathing slightly ragged. The person cornering him was Zhou Li, a notorious “second-generation” delinquent at North City High School.

Zhou Li had one hand braced against the wall next to Qiao Xingyin’s ear. The stench of low-grade tobacco pheromones mixed with the smell of sweat assaulted Qiao Xingyin’s senses, making him knit his brows in disgust.

The tall Alpha loomed over him, a malicious grin spreading across his face. “Where else do you think you can hide?”

Zhou Li’s canine teeth peeked out as his rough fingertips brushed violently over the back of Qiao Xingyin’s neck. “Since you fell into my hands, it would be a waste not to take a bite. How else could I do justice to such top-tier Omega pheromones?”

In the cramped, oppressive space, a faint, seductive scent of roses began to spread quietly.

Qiao Xingyin’s eyelashes fluttered as his fingers reached behind him for a bottle of liquid soap. His voice, however, was soft and trembling. “Please! I beg you!”

His voice was clear and youthful, sounding as if it were wrapped in mist. His feigned plea for mercy made one’s heart twitch; it made one want to hear him make more sounds like soft whimpers.

As expected, Zhou Li took the bait. Every syllable Qiao Xingyin uttered struck his hunting instincts with precision, making him shiver with excitement down to his marrow.

Qiao Xingyin intentionally lowered his stance. “I’m scared…”

Zhou Li leaned closer, his pupils reflecting nothing but Qiao Xingyin’s beautiful face. “Now you know fear?” He flicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Too late.”

Just as Zhou Li was distracted by his greedy gaze, Qiao Xingyin grabbed the soap bottle and squeezed it hard right into the Alpha’s eyes.

The translucent gel instantly coated the man’s face.

“Fuck! My eyes!” Zhou Li let out a shrill scream. “What the hell did you do!”

As Zhou Li staggered back, knocking over a trash can, Qiao Xingyin seized the chance. He swung the metal-bodied bottle and slammed it hard against the Alpha’s temple.

A dull thud echoed through the restroom.

Zhou Li clutched his eyes, roaring in pain, “You’ve got a lot of nerve!”

Qiao Xingyin raised his eyes to look at him. His tone was nonchalant, completely devoid of the previous cowardice. “Does dealing with you even require nerve?”

“You’re looking for death!” Zhou Li barked in fury. “Don’t I look familiar to you?! Do you know who my father is?!”

Qiao Xingyin narrowed his eyes, his voice as lazy as a cat’s. “Familiar. You look like the trash I threw out yesterday.”

Qiao Xingyin nimbly skipped to a safe distance and began slowly tidying his disheveled collar.

“You!” Zhou Li looked like he’d been struck by lightning. He wiped his face blindly and tried to pounce, but he slipped on the spilled soap and crashed heavily onto the wet floor tiles.

Qiao Xingyin looked down at him, suddenly crouching to tilt the Alpha’s chin up with the soap bottle.

“Remember this,” the youth’s voice was as gentle as if he were whispering sweet nothings. “If there’s a next time, I’ll disfigure you and throw in a permanent end to your bloodline for free. Believe me?”

Qiao Xingyin kicked open the stall door and walked out with composure.

But internally, he was far from calm.

He had just transferred to North City High. On his way in, he had felt a dull ache in his temples and extreme physical discomfort. He originally thought it was just a common cold he could power through. He hadn’t expected that he was actually undergoing an early differentiation.

Moreover, he had differentiated into an Omega six months ahead of the hospital’s projected date.

The moment his pheromones began to leak, he was cornered in the restroom by a total stranger like Zhou Li.

Furthermore, during the past two days, the plot of a campus novel had abruptly appeared in his dreams. The dreams told him that the world he had lived in for seventeen years was actually a book. He was the “heartthrob cannon fodder” Omega.

Instead of enjoying the perks of a heartthrob, he was destined for a life of constant peril. 99% of Alphas would find his pheromones irresistible, leaving him surrounded by “wolves” and in perpetual danger. Even the restrained Protagonist Gong (Top) almost lost his composure with him once, which laid the foundation for his tragic end in the book.

The Protagonist Shou (Bottom), with his high dual-intelligence and “Golden Finger” luck, would eventually counterattack and put Qiao Xingyin who was accused of seducing the lead to death in minutes.

Qiao Xingyin stumbled into the infirmary, locked the door behind him, and slid down to the floor against the doorframe. His forehead was burning, his vision was darkening in waves, and every breath he drew was filled with the cloyingly sweet scent of roses emanating from his own body.

Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up and lunged for the medicine cabinet, his fingers shaking as he searched for an inhibitor. The glass door reflected his flushed face; his dark bangs were soaked with cold sweat and stuck to his pale skin, giving him a fragile, porcelain-like beauty.

He snatched an inhibitor and plunged the needle into his gland. The pain forced a muffled groan from his throat. As the cold liquid entered his veins, his boiling pheromones were finally suppressed. He tremblingly applied a suppressant patch and let out a long sigh of relief.

Knock, knock, knock!

Urgent knocking came from the infirmary door. A strange Alpha’s voice sounded, raspy and heavy with breathing: “Who’s in there? Come out and let me have a look.”

“Must be lonely in there by yourself. Why don’t I help you relieve that boredom?”

Qiao Xingyin frowned. The doors and walls of the infirmary were specially reinforced to accommodate Alphas and Omegas during special periods. The fact that his pheromones could attract an Alpha through the door confirmed that the contents of the novel might be true.

Qiao Xingyin covered the back of his neck tightly and held his breath. The sound of the doorknob being turned was clear, accompanied by the Alphas’ increasingly heavy breathing.

“Smell that? It’s intoxicating.”

“Definitely an Omega probably in heat.”

“So damn alluring, even the isolation door can’t stop it.”

Qiao Xingyin pinched his palm to force himself to stay calm. His pheromones were unique and his situation was dangerous; he had to find a solution quickly. If things went according to the book, the danger he faced would be far greater than just Zhou Li.

He ensured the door was double-locked and piled some heavy objects against it. He recalled seeing a note when he entered: the school doctor was out on an errand but would return shortly. He just had to wait.

Around 3:00 PM, the infirmary door was finally pushed open. Dr. Lin walked in carrying a medical kit. He barked at the agitated Alphas outside: “What are you doing? If you keep loitering here, I’ll have you all disciplined!”

The sounds of scurrying footsteps outside faded away.

Dr. Lin locked the door behind him, yanked the curtains shut, and looked at Qiao Xingyin huddled on the bed. The boy was excessively beautiful, his eyes misty, his face pale, and the edge of his suppressant patch was slightly peeling.

“Differentiated?” Dr. Lin frowned and put on medical gloves. “Let me check the gland.”

However, the moment his fingertips touched the back of Qiao Xingyin’s neck, his breath hitched. It wasn’t the light, sweet scent of a normal Omega, but like the most mature bloom in a midsummer rose garden. The petals were dazzling under the sun, and the sap was drenched in honey, so sweet it made one’s throat tighten.

Dr. Lin’s fingers unconsciously brushed the edge of the gland, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He took a step back, pressed his stethoscope against Qiao Xingyin, and said hoarsely: “Qiao Xingyin? You need to go to a major hospital for a full body check-up.”

Qiao Xingyin looked up blankly. “Is it that serious?”

“Yes. Normal Omega pheromone concentration is between 50 and 200 units. Yours is 1,874 units.” Dr. Lin took off the stethoscope and took a deep breath, trying to sound professional despite his pounding temples.

Dr. Lin pulled a medical journal from a drawer and flipped to a bookmarked page. “It’s a one-in-ten-thousand chance. Your pheromones aren’t ordinary roses; they are the ‘Blood Rose’ variant. Your attraction to Alphas is more than ten times that of a normal Omega.”

“Those Alphas outside were like hungry wolves smelling blood,” Dr. Lin said. “More importantly, this scent will only get stronger as you mature. Ordinary inhibitors likely won’t be enough for you.”

Dr. Lin gave him a shot of high-strength inhibitor and wrote him a sick note. “I’m giving you three days of medical leave. I’ll speak to your homeroom teacher.” He pressed the note into Qiao Xingyin’s hand, his fingers pulling away the moment they touched the boy’s skin. He was afraid that if he didn’t, he wouldn’t be able to let go.

“Qiao Xingyin?” In the classroom, his seatmate Wen Ke looked up from his phone, his voice gentle. “Teacher Liu said you went to the infirmary. Are you okay?”

Qiao Xingyin packed his bag, pretending to be fine. “I’m okay, just a bit dizzy.”

Wen Ke’s fingers lightly touched his wrist. “Your temperature is very high, did you differentiate?”

Wen Ke was a Beta and couldn’t smell pheromones, but he was curious and had read a lot about the subject.

“Yeah, the doctor gave me a leave slip.” Qiao Xingyin stuffed his inhibitors into a hidden compartment of his bag. “I won’t be in tomorrow.”

“I heard mint-licorice tea helps with differentiation heat,” Wen Ke noted helpfully, giving him a note with a recipe and his contact info. “Three grams of mint leaves, two slices of licorice, steeped in 80-degree water for five minutes. You can buy them at the campus store in brown paper packaging. Call me if you need anything.”

“Thanks, I’ll remember that.” Qiao Xingyin smiled. “I’m heading home then. Good luck with the quiz.”

Weekly quizzes were a tradition at North City High. On Wen Ke’s phone screen, his character was currently being ganked by five enemies because he had been distracted talking to Qiao Xingyin.

Wen Ke, who usually slacked off, didn’t care much about the quiz. He felt a bit embarrassed. “My mom always says I was a free gift that came with a phone plan. I think she’s right why else would a phone feel so much more familiar than a textbook?”

Qiao Xingyin chuckled. He did a final check of his bag and said goodbye to his new seatmate.

The sun was setting.

Carrying his bag, Qiao Xingyin instinctively avoided places where Alphas might congregate, taking a long detour. However, having escaped one confrontation today, he stumbled right into another at the mouth of an alley.

Five or six Alphas had formed a semi-circle, pinning a lean, tall figure against the wall. Amidst the glow of cigarettes, vulgar insults mixed with the smell of alcohol filled the air.

“When we give you a lesson, you take it.” The leading Alpha with dyed yellow hair sneered, his knuckles cracking. “Your mom is just a whore, so why are you acting so high and mighty?”

Qiao Xingyin froze. When he saw the face of the boy being bullied, his pupils shrank.

It was the Protagonist Shou from the novel, Qi Yan.

Even though Qiao Xingyin had never met him, he had seen his blurry silhouette in his dreams. In reality, Qi Yan was even more stunning than the dream. His features were deep and handsome, with messy hair falling over his brow to reveal eyes as cold as winter stars. A straight nose, thin lips, and a sharp jawline, he looked like a cold, unsheathed blade.

He had a chilling aura that warned others to stay away. These thugs only had the upper hand because of their numbers and sheer bulk.

According to the original plot, Qi Yan was currently a destitute Beta, but he would later differentiate into the world’s most powerful Omega and take revenge on everyone who had bullied him.

Qiao Xingyin reached for his phone, but it was too late to call for help. The street was empty, and the only heavy object he had was the Oxford English Dictionary in his bag.

Throw it as a distraction? He might hit Qi Yan. Make a noise? He might get targeted. But he couldn’t just stand by and let Qi Yan’s beautiful face get ruined.

Qiao Xingyin decided on Plan A. The basketball skills his brother taught him weren’t for nothing. He found a tricky angle and threw with all his might.

The next second, the heavy dictionary struck the yellow-haired Alpha squarely on the back of the head.

“Fuck?! Who did that?!” the thug roared, clearly livid.

The situation reversed in an instant. Qi Yan seized the opening. The yellow-haired Alpha was sent flying like a broken sandbag.

Qiao Xingyin’s breath hitched.

No pheromone suppression, no wasted movements. Qi Yan grabbed a second person by the throat with one hand and slammed him against the wall, while his knee drove into the stomach of a third. His movements were so fast they were almost elegant sharp, precise, and chillingly cold.

Half a minute later, only the sounds of groans and pleas for mercy remained in the alley.

Qi Yan shook his wrist; his school uniform sleeve was stained with blood. His jaw was still set tight, arrogant and frigid. He bent down to pick up his bag, and as he looked up, his gaze locked instantly onto Qiao Xingyin at the end of the alley.

The evening breeze ruffled the boy’s bangs, revealing wide, amber eyes filled with shock.

The moment their eyes met, Qiao Xingyin’s heart skipped a beat.

Holy crap is he using cheats?

This guy was an Omega who needed protection? If he had Qi Yan’s fighting skills, why would he ever fear an Alpha?

Suddenly, a burning thought exploded in Qiao Xingyin’s mind:

Why bother sucking up to the Protagonist Gong? Isn’t it much better to stick with this “battle-damaged” Protagonist Shou?

If Qi Yan could teach him some self-defense, that would be even better!

Support After Transmigrating as a Man-Eater Omega, I Got the Protagonist Shou