The Strongest Alpha is Overwhelmingly Omega After Rebirth - Chapter 18

During evening self-study, Wang Fenghai made a rare appearance at school carrying a registration form. “Students, the sports meet will be held this Thursday. Those interested in participating in any events should go to the sports committeeman to sign up. I hope you all participate enthusiastically.”

The class cheered; a sports meet was synonymous with break time.

Before they could rejoice for even two minutes, Old Class Monitor Wang dropped another line: “The unified examinations are next week. Prepare yourselves well.”

The crowd went silent. It was a blatant warning. The unified exams involved every school in the First High School and East City districts. It served as a competitive benchmark between schools and a wake-up call for the upcoming final exams.

At a study-oriented school like First High School, participation in the sports meet was not mandatory, but each class was required to field at least one person per event.

As the school’s all-around athlete and bully, Lin Yan surprisingly had not signed up for a single event this time. Han An, the sports committeeman, had once played a friendly game of basketball with the school bully; since then, his sense of reserve had completely vanished.

As soon as Lin Yan entered the classroom, someone grabbed his leg. Han An looked up piteously. “Daddy, save me! Your genius athletic nerves cannot be buried like this!”

Lin Yan was speechless.

“Just sign up for one event. Have a heart, Daddy. Your child cannot go on without you,” Han An pleaded.

Lin Yan did not know whether to laugh or cry. “Let me see the registration form. Who else is participating?”

Han An’s eyes lit up instantly. “Okay!”

Looking at the form, Lin Yan understood why Han An was complaining. The number of participants was pitifully small.

“Lin Yan.” Ning Youji entered the classroom with a stack of papers. “Come get your advanced test paper.”

Lin Yan patted Han An’s shoulder, giving him a look of “brotherly love but unable to help.” Han An looked ready to cry. “Daddy, are you going to abandon me?”

Lin Yan nodded. “Yes. Good luck, buddy.”

“What did Han An want with you?” Ning Youji pulled the paper out and handed it to him.

“The sports events are not full yet.” Lin Yan sat down and, suddenly struck by an idea, asked with interest, “You play basketball so well, so your physical stats must be great. How about the two of us sign up for something?”

“No time,” Ning Youji refused flatly.

Lin Yan looked at the pathetic Han An by the door and wanted to say more, but Ning Youji beat him to it. “Discard the idea of participating. Your heat cycle just ended.”

Lin Yan froze. He had almost forgotten about that.

Ning Youji glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. He did not know when it started, but he found himself increasingly helpless against this youth. Finally, under Lin Yan’s expectant gaze, Ning Youji signed up for the men’s 5000-meter long-distance race. Once Ning Youji’s name was on the list, other students began to sign up one after another.

On the day of the sports meet, the school speakers blared one long speech after another, making Lin Yan yawn repeatedly. There were no classes during the meet; once a student finished their events, their time was their own. They could go home after checking in on Friday.

The morning featured long-distance races: the 1500-meter for both genders and the men’s 5000-meter. When it was time for the 5000-meter, the Omegas who were supposed to be there showed up, along with Alphas and Betas who were not. They were all there specifically to watch the Great Scholar run.

Ning Youji stuck his racing number to his waist while his classmates cheered loudly. Lin Yan watched the commotion and clicked his tongue. “I feel like you could never get lost in the future.”

Ning Youji’s lips curled into an arc, knowing Lin Yan’s mind was wandering into random territory again.

Sure enough, Lin Yan said in the next second, “In the future, wherever the crowd is thickest, I will go there. You are bound to be in the middle of it.”

Ning Youji shook his head, the smile on his lips remaining as he bent over to retie his shoelaces. The referee held a red flag. With the final count, the flag dropped. The cheers from the sidelines rose in waves, making it feel like an Olympic venue.

There were several sports majors in this race who sprinted to the front immediately. Ning Youji followed unhurriedly at the back, looking completely indifferent. Lin Yan watched his leisurely pace and raised an eyebrow. Even though he knew Ning Youji was conserving energy, his heart was still in his throat.

With a lap and a half left, Lin Yan saw that Ning Youji was still taking his time. He could no longer sit still and ran over to shout, “Ning Youji, sprint for me! If you win, I will treat you to dinner and milk tea!”

Ning Youji was not far away and heard the shout clearly; it completely drowned out the other noisy cheers. Following the school bully’s shout, the surrounding students began to jeer.

“Scholar Ning, sprint! The school bully says he is going to support you!”

“Hahaha, brother, your interpretation is way too twisted!”

“Ning-ge, our Daddy is great at sports, you cannot let him suppress you! You have to be on top!”

“Go for it, Scholar Ning! Being on top feels so much better!”

Hearing this chaotic howling, the spectating students burst into laughter. Amidst the cheering, Ning Youji’s speed increased until he was only an arm’s length away from the leaders.

The final half-lap.

Ning Youji accelerated with full force. He overtook third place. Then second. There was one student left in front—a sports major who won the school championship every year. He was not about to let Ning Youji pass easily. He gave it his all for a final sprint. Just as he thought he had pulled away, he saw Ning Youji flash past him.

Under his gaze, Ning Youji accelerated again, sprinting as if it were a 100-meter dash rather than a 5000-meter race. The sports major could not help but curse, “Not human! He is a madman!”

The referee blew the whistle. “Number 09, Ning Youji, 13 minutes 53 seconds.”

The entire field erupted!

Because his final sprint was so fast, Ning Youji’s momentum carried him forward for a distance. The hair on his forehead was soaked with sweat, his back was drenched, and his chest heaved. Lin Yan rushed over with water, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to him. He gave a thumbs up and praised sincerely, “My Ning-ge is truly badass!”

Ning Youji glanced at him, took the water, and ignored him to down half the bottle. The students of Class 7 crowded around.

Han An was excited. “Monitor Ning, you are incredible! Great at studies and sports! You truly are the god of First High!”

“My Ning-ge is definitely badass. Look at whose brother he is.” Jiang Xue acted as if he were the one who had won. “Actually, Brother Lin’s sprint is great too, it is just a pity he did not sign up.”

Lin Yan naturally took the water back from Ning Youji, capped it, and joked, “My roommate replaced me, so it is the same.”

The Class 7 students laughed, already used to the school bully’s jokes.

“By the way, Brother Lin,” Jiang Xue pulled at him. “It is my turn for the high jump soon. Come watch me. I feel safe when you are there.”

Lin Yan was a bit helpless and gave Ning Youji a nod.

“Go ahead,” Ning Youji said, his voice slightly raspy. “I am going to change my clothes.”

On his way back, Ning Youji felt a series of sharp pains at the back of his neck. He reached up to pinch it.

Lin Yan followed Jiang Xue to the high jump area, where Lu Xiangshi was also present. “Brother, you signed up for the high jump too?” Lu Xiangshi glanced behind him. “Where is Ning-ge? I saw a crowd over at the long distance run, but I could not leave my spot.”

Lin Yan replied, “He went to change.”

For some reason, as soon as Ning Youji left, Lin Yan’s heart felt as if it were pressed by a stone. It was stifling. Even after Jiang Xue finished jumping, Ning Youji had not returned, and that sense of anxiety grew stronger. Jiang Xue and Lu Xiangshi were shouting about going to an internet cafe later. Seeing that Lin Yan was not joining in, Jiang Xue looked at him. The youth’s brow was furrowed as if he were about to explode.

“Brother Lin, what is wrong?” Jiang Xue had only seen this expression when Lin Yan was about to start a group fight. “Who annoyed you? Do we need to gather the brothers for a beating?”

Lin Yan hesitated, then raised his palm to touch his own neck. It was cool, covered by a scent-blocking patch. Logically, an Omega should not have such emotions after their heat cycle, but he remembered he was different. He could evolve his pheromones; others could not. He turned and walked toward the classroom, his pace fast and urgent.

Jiang Xue shouted from behind, “Brother Lin, you are not going to the internet cafe with us?”

Lin Yan waved him off and sped up, disappearing into the teaching building. There were many students going up and down the stairs. Lin Yan ran all the way to Class 7. There were quite a few students in the classroom, either reading or playing. His warm palm was still pressed to the back of his neck, but instead of warming his neck, the temperature of his palm seemed to be dropping.

Standing at the back door, he looked at the window seats. They were empty. He walked over and saw that the test paper the Chinese teacher had distributed to Ning Youji was gone. He patted the person in front. “Li Xingming, have you seen Ning Youji?”

Li Xingming turned around and thought for a moment. “He came back a while ago to get two test papers. It looks like he went back to the dorm.”

Lin Yan thanked him and turned to run out. His urgency was visible even from his back. Li Xingming muttered suspiciously, “What is going on today? Everyone is so restless.”

Lin Yan headed straight for Ning Youji’s dorm and found the door unlocked. The moment he pushed the door open, a highly oppressive Alpha pheromone slammed into him. It was like a lion guarding its territory, irritable to the point of madness, nearly forcing Lin Yan to his knees. Fortunately, the lingering tooth mark on his neck allowed him to barely hold his ground.

Lin Yan walked in and saw the youth sitting disheveled on the floor. A silver needle was piercing his skin, the veins on his arm were bulging, and his face was full of violent rage. Ning Youji did not seem to notice him enter; his hand was slowly pushing the plunger, delivering the liquid into his veins bit by bit.

Lin Yan took two steps and accidentally kicked a stool. Suddenly, Ning Youji turned his head. Seeing those dark, frantic eyes, Lin Yan could not help but shiver, feeling a chill down his spine. An even more oppressive pheromone crushed down on him, causing Lin Yan to stagger and lean against the wall.

“Ning Youji, pull back your pheromones. You are crushing me to death.” Lin Yan’s voice was very soft, every word trembling like a little rabbit caught in a lion’s throat.

Hearing the familiar voice, the ink-black darkness in Ning Youji’s eyes finally focused. He narrowed his eyes and slowly retracted the pheromones. Lin Yan finally understood where his anxiety had come from. When an Alpha and an Omega have a mark, they can sense each other. If something happens to one, the other can feel it. Highly compatible pairs can even have their emotions influenced.

Ning Youji retracted his gaze and pulled the needle out. Blood flowed from his pale skin, but he ignored it. “Get out.” His voice was like ice shards, cold and sharp against Lin Yan’s ears.

Lin Yan froze for only a second. Acting as if he had not heard, he grabbed a tissue from the desk and walked toward him. After helping clean the blood from the wound, he asked, “Susceptibility period?”

Ning Youji’s voice was hoarse. “An episode.”

Lin Yan gave a low acknowledgment and threw the bloody tissue into the trash. Ning Youji raised his eyelids and saw that the other had no intention of leaving. Lin Yan helped him onto the bed. Seeing Ning Youji’s pale face and the bloodshot tint in his eyes, he knew the other must be in pain. After finalizing the plan in his heart, he moved quickly to tear off the blocking patch on his neck.

He pulled down his school uniform collar and sat next to Ning Youji with his back turned. “Would you feel better if you bit me?” He answered his own question with determination. “Then go ahead.”

Lin Yan tilted his neck, revealing the most vulnerable part of an Omega. Ning Youji saw the neck that still bore two faint tooth marks, his eyes darkening. Seeing the Omega’s gland, the Alpha instincts within him began to stir, his throat grew dry, and his blood surged. He leaned in.

Lin Yan did not want to owe him a favor. Whether in the past life or this one, Ning Youji had helped him too much. This small sacrifice was nothing. He felt the person behind him approach. Strands of hair brushed his neck, and a rapid, burning breath hit his skin. His body tensed instinctively.

Ning Youji’s warm palm pressed against his neck, giving it a light squeeze, and then he pulled Lin Yan’s collar back up. He turned his head away, his voice soft and raspy. “No need. I have already injected the suppressant.”

Lin Yan froze and turned around, his face full of confusion. Having been an Alpha in his previous life, he knew exactly what kind of temptation an Omega was to an Alpha in their susceptibility period. Yet, he had just been rejected! Was it because his Omega scent was not pleasant?

Ning Youji lowered his eyelids. When he spoke again, his voice carried a tone of command. “Do not show your gland to anyone so easily in the future, especially to an Alpha.”