After Transmigrating as a Man-Eater Omega, I Got the Protagonist Shou - Chapter 5

Qi Yan’s figure vanished into the night, his shoulder line tense and straight, looking exceptionally lonely.

“I don’t need you to pay me back. Those who require repayment aren’t true friends,” Qiao Xingyin said with utter sincerity. “I just feel that someone as wonderful as you deserves to be treated with honesty.”

“Wonderful?” A self-deprecating smile tugged at the corner of Qi Yan’s lips. He had never imagined that one day those words would be used to describe him. “Then you clearly don’t know what kind of person I am.”

Qiao Xingyin gazed into his eyes and said with certainty, “I know.”

The Qi Yan in the rumors was not the real Qi Yan; the essential Qi Yan was the true one.

Qi Yan, however, felt that he couldn’t possibly know. Those sordid past events and dark rumors were like maggots in his bones, following him everywhere. Perhaps one day, when Qiao Xingyin truly understood, he would flee in terror just like everyone else.

“Anyway, I don’t have anything I need you to return,” Qiao Xingyin blinked. “If there has to be one thing, actually, there is one.”

Qi Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “What is it?”

“Your contact information.” Qiao Xingyin reached out tentatively but quickly withdrew his hand, not wanting to make things difficult for him. “Give it to me when you’re ready. I’m in no hurry.”

He knew Qi Yan wasn’t used to people getting too close; breaking habits took time. Just as it took more than one cold day to freeze three feet of ice, thawing took time as well. Regardless, he already knew where to find Qi Yan.

Even though he arrived home late, well past his usual bedtime, Qiao Xingyin was still a bit excited. As the protagonist of the story, Qi Yan undoubtedly possessed great charisma. Spending even a short time with him was mentally and physically pleasant.

That night, Qiao Xingyin dreamed of his parents. In the dream, he promised them that although he possessed elite Omega pheromones, he would definitely protect himself and grow up safely. Just as they had hoped.

“I only realized after Old Xu mentioned it to me that you didn’t attend the summer bridge classes. You’ve missed a month of our progress.”

Wen Ke felt a bit guilty. After all, Qiao Xingyin had missed an entire month of lessons at the start of the school year, covering content that was both foundational and important. He had actually forgotten something so vital. If Qiao Xingyin were someone who valued academics highly, he would be in despair by now.

“Old Xu said if there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me. Or the subject representatives and the study committee member.” Wen Ke then realized Qiao Xingyin might not know who they were. “By the way, if you’re free, I’ll introduce you to everyone in the class one by one.”

Qiao Xingyin felt that introducing fifty people individually was too much trouble. He thought of a faster way. “Do you have a seating chart?”

Wen Ke responded eagerly, “Yes, I’ll go ask for a copy for you.”

Wen Ke turned and asked the class monitor, Jiang Shixu, for a seating chart. There were four groups in the class, and the groups rotated weekly. Since they had been in remedial classes for exactly one month, having rotated four times, the seats this week were identical to the original chart.

Qiao Xingyin matched the names on the chart with the forty-nine faces in the class. Within half a day, he could recognize most of his classmates.

“You’ve already matched them all up?” Wen Ke was stunned. He was somewhat face-blind; except for top-tier beauties like Qiao Xingyin, he forgot most people the moment he looked at them. “You could go into criminal investigation in the future. Your efficiency would be off the charts.”

In truth, Qiao Xingyin simply had a good memory. Whether it was remembering people or knowledge points, he learned faster than average. Because his mother had systematically trained his memory when he was young, he could remember the gist of a textbook after two readings; by the third, he practically had it memorized.

Wen Ke, who usually slacked off in his studies, guessed from Qiao Xingyin’s ability to memorize people that his grades must be good; otherwise, it would have been hard to transfer directly into North City First High from another province. For some reason, he suddenly wasn’t very worried about Qiao Xingyin’s learning progress anymore.

The study committee member, Tao Yanxi, had clearly been instructed by Xu Changqing as well. He proactively approached Qiao Xingyin’s desk to show some care for the new student. “Qiao Xingyin, I’m the study committee member for Class 8. Is there anything you don’t understand regarding the current curriculum?”

Qiao Xingyin looked up to see a boy in a neatly ironed uniform with an exquisite fountain pen clipped to his collar. His tone was polite but detached.

Qiao Xingyin closed his textbook and returned an equally polite smile. “Not at the moment.”

“That’s good.” Tao Yanxi nodded. He turned to leave, his chin slightly tilted as if every word he spoke was precious. In a businesslike, almost indifferent tone, he added, “If you do, come find me. I will help you catch up.”

Qiao Xingyin blinked. “Thank you.”

Qiao Xingyin wasn’t affected by Tao Yanxi’s attitude at all. What he was thinking was: Right, if I have the chance, I can ‘trouble’ Qi Yan to tutor me.

Wen Ke had disliked Tao Yanxi for a long time. Staring at his departing back, he crossed his arms. “Him? He ranks first in our class, he’s an Omega, and he’s decent-looking. Many wealthy Alpha students chase him, so it’s inevitable he’d be arrogant.”

Qiao Xingyin followed Wen Ke’s gaze and indeed saw Tao Yanxi in the hallway, surrounded by several Alphas asking him questions.

Wen Ke clicked his tongue a few times. “Tao Yanxi usually cries for ages if he even gets second place; he’s incredibly competitive. Now that you’re in our class and so good-looking, he might not say it, but he’s definitely sour inside.”

Those Alphas seemed to feel Qiao Xingyin’s gaze and looked back. Once they looked, it was hard to turn away. In their seventeen years of life, they had never seen such a beautiful Omega. It was as if the clarity of his features was on a different level from everyone else; everything around him paled in comparison.

“Your class has an Omega this good-looking?” “He’s that transfer student in your class, right?”

Tao Yanxi appeared helpful, but his tone was somewhat cold. “Yes. Do you need me to help ask for his contact info?”

“No, no.” Even if they wanted to ask, they wouldn’t be stupid enough to ask through Tao Yanxi.

From a distance, Wen Ke couldn’t hear their conversation. He continued talking to Qiao Xingyin. “People like Tao Yanxi are just boring to me. It’s exhausting being around him. Let me tell you about someone interesting. Our class monitor is also the class hunk, Jiang Shixu. He’s an elite Alpha with a great family background and good looks. No one knows who will end up with him yet.”

“I just got the seating chart from him. Thanks to you, I finally had a reason to talk to him,” Wen Ke said, not holding back his praise. “Speak of the devil. That’s Jiang Shixu. What do you think? Isn’t he handsome?”

Jiang Shixu walked into Class 8 through the back door and happened to meet Qiao Xingyin’s gaze. Hearing their conversation, his heart skipped a beat, and the homework notebooks in his hand fell to the floor.

“Monitor?” a nearby student called out in confusion.

Jiang Shixu snapped out of it, bending over to pick up the scattered notebooks, his earlobes flushing red.

“Let me help you.” Qiao Xingyin had approached him at some point, crouching down to organize the papers.

“Thank you.” Jiang Shixu took the notebooks. A faint, fleeting scent brushed past his nose.

The setting of a “universal heartthrob” Omega meant that even special suppressants couldn’t completely block the pheromones. A very tiny amount would dissipate; it wasn’t enough to drive an Alpha into heat, but it held a fatal attraction for them in close proximity. Jiang Shixu’s Alpha instincts immediately identified this as the scent of an Omega.

Qiao Xingyin’s pheromones were different from anything in a pheromone museum. It was a scent no Alpha could resist.

Wen Ke had never seen the usually calm and composed monitor like this—shifty-eyed, cheeks flushed, and even struggling to speak clearly.

Qiao Xingyin, however, looked normal as he handed the last notebook to Jiang Shixu. “You’re welcome.”

Jiang Shixu’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He opened his mouth but didn’t say a word. It wasn’t until Qiao Xingyin turned back to his seat that he took a deep breath as if waking from a dream, his palms drenched in sweat.

The cafeteria at noon was bustling. As soon as the bell rang, a tide of people flooded in. In the sea of blue and white uniforms, Qiao Xingyin’s figure was particularly striking. The same uniform on him seemed to be coated in a soft halo, making his skin look like jade and his features like a painting.

“Hello, Auntie. I’d like the vegetable tofu pot, vinegar-glazed meatballs, and Kung Pao chicken.” Qiao Xingyin stood at the window with his tray, politely pointing out several dishes.

The cafeteria worker’s eyes lit up. Her hand stopped shaking, and she gave him a full scoop, even adding an extra chicken leg.

As soon as Qiao Xingyin found a seat, a tall Alpha approached with a flushed face. “Is anyone sitting here?”

Qiao Xingyin looked up and gave a polite smile. “No.”

The Alpha asked cautiously, “Can I sit across from you?”

“I don’t own the cafeteria seats. Of course you can.” Qiao Xingyin’s attitude was friendly.

The Alpha sat down excitedly, looking a bit lost. While stealing glances at Qiao Xingyin, he messaged his best friend.

“Oh my god, can you believe it? I’m sitting right next to that super pretty transfer student. He really is so good-looking.” “No exaggeration, he has the kind of face that makes me want to make him cry the moment I see him.”

His friend replied instantly: “Talk is cheap. Where’s the photo?!”

The Alpha hesitantly raised his phone, pretending to pick up food while snapping a secret photo. In the picture, Qiao Xingyin was looking down while eating. His profile was stunning, and his eyelashes were very long.

“Holy crap, that profile is indeed amazing. No bad angles at all!” “Take a few more! One isn’t enough!” “Damn, I’m not that thick-skinned, okay?” the Alpha replied with a red face. “Being able to get this one is already great.”

Qiao Xingyin had no idea what was happening at the next table. He poked at his rice somewhat distractedly, his eyes searching the crowd for Qi Yan. He went home so late yesterday; will he be exhausted today?

Qiao Xingyin couldn’t help but think: A top student really is a top student, maintaining excellent grades regardless of the circumstances. If it were him, he’d definitely be groggy all day without eight hours of sleep. Forget studying; he wouldn’t even have the energy for games.

At that moment, Qi Yan was standing not far away, tray in hand, looking at Qiao Xingyin with a dark gaze. Even though he wasn’t an Alpha, he understood the meaning behind the gazes surrounding Qiao Xingyin better than anyone. Blatant admiration, undisguised affection, and open lust—wrapped in the aggression and possessiveness unique to Alphas, as if they wanted to claim this Omega and devour him whole.

Qi Yan’s knuckles tightened unconsciously, the edge of the tray pressing a red mark into his palm. Qiao Xingyin didn’t notice him. Qi Yan turned and walked toward the furthest corner of the cafeteria, his back looking even colder and stiffer than usual.

On the other side, the Alpha was still trying to get Qiao Xingyin’s contact info.

“Classmate, I think you’re really good-looking.” The Alpha rubbed his fingers nervously. Although asking for contact info upon first meeting was a bit forward, he’d regret it if he missed the chance. “Is it convenient to add you on WeChat?”

Qiao Xingyin looked up, his eyes clear. “I don’t use my phone often. If you need anything, just come find me in Class 8.”

The Alpha caught the detail. “You’re in Grade 10, Class 8?”

Qiao Xingyin shook his head. “Grade 11, Class 8.”

The Alpha scratched his head. “My bad.”

“No worries.” Qiao Xingyin’s gaze had already crossed the crowd to the corner of the cafeteria.

So Qi Yan was sitting there.

By the time Qiao Xingyin finished his meal, cleared his tray, and queued up at the drink window, the Alpha was still trailing behind him like a tail. Qiao Xingyin finally stopped, turned around, and said calmly, “I’m going to take a nap. Could you please stop following me?”

Then, Qiao Xingyin bought two cartons of milk and walked straight to the most remote corner of the cafeteria, sitting across from Qi Yan. He placed a milk carton in front of him. “Qi Yan, I wanted to find you as soon as I got to the cafeteria, but there were too many people. I didn’t see you just now.”

Qiao Xingyin took a sticky note with his phone number out of his pocket. “Here, this is my contact information. If you’re ever willing to be my friend, you can add me. My WeChat is my phone number.”

Whether it was his imagination or not, Qiao Xingyin felt like Qi Yan’s energy was a bit low today, his aura particularly chilly. However, silence was Qi Yan’s normal state. Qiao Xingyin didn’t find talking to himself awkward; on the contrary, he liked “cool” beauties. Facing Qi Yan, he had more patience than usual.

“I realized I never even told you my name. Let me introduce myself formally. I’m Qiao Xingyin from Grade 11, Class 8.” Qiao Xingyin suddenly remembered something. “By the way, did you call my name yesterday? I hadn’t told you yet. How did you know?”

Qi Yan replied, “I heard the teacher call you in the office that day.”

A smile curved Qiao Xingyin’s lips. It turned out that not only had he noticed Qi Yan that day, but Qi Yan had also noticed him. Qiao Xingyin immediately felt confident again. Barring any accidents, they would definitely become great best friends.

“I’m leaving,” Qi Yan suddenly stood up and picked up his tray.

“Hey!” Qiao Xingyin followed closely behind Qi Yan until they reached the classroom. They didn’t speak the whole way, but the atmosphere was harmonious.

This scene happened to be caught by Wen Ke. Qiao Xingyin returned to his seat in Class 8 and met Wen Ke’s complicated gaze. Wen Ke lived near the school and usually went home to sleep at noon. Today, he realized he’d forgotten his keys at the door, so he turned back to the classroom. He happened to see Qiao Xingyin following Qi Yan in the deserted hallway.

“Who were you just walking with?” Wen Ke’s brow furrowed, and he advised sincerely, “Qiao Xingyin, you absolutely must not get too close to Qi Yan. Your reputation in school is great right now, but if you get mixed up with him, that might change.”

Qiao Xingyin’s expression didn’t waver. “I don’t believe those rumors.”

Wen Ke’s tone was worried. “You don’t believe them, but everyone else does. A lie told often enough becomes the truth. Rumors are terrifying.”

Qiao Xingyin understood that praise based solely on appearance was the most fleeting. Moreover, he didn’t care much for those things. He shook his head with a smile, his eyes determined. “I’m not afraid.”

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