The Strongest Alpha is Overwhelmingly Omega After Rebirth - Chapter 28

Ji Qing felt a pheromone much more powerful than his own and instinctively looked back. Before he could see the person’s face, a strong low pressure surged from the mouth of the alley. The newcomer kicked him in the abdomen and followed up with a ruthless punch. The attacker showed no mercy, every move executed with lethal precision.

Ji Qing was knocked back, only managing to steady himself by bracing against the wall to avoid a pathetic fall. He finally recognized Ning Youji’s expression. It was the first time he had seen Ning Youji display such emotion. Pursing his lips in annoyance, Ji Qing braced himself to retaliate, but before he could raise a fist, a clean yet violent force pinned him against the wall.

The back of his head slammed into the hard stone, causing his ears to ring. As the static in his vision faded, he locked eyes with a pair of jet black eyes that looked like phantoms in the dark. In that moment, Ji Qing seemed to lose even the courage to breathe. He had never imagined Ning Youji’s eyes could seep with such terrifying intent.

Fear clouded his mind. Clutching his stomach, he stared at Ning Youji and let out a sneer. “You actually laid a hand on me for this piece of trash Omega? You, who never fights?”

The moment the word “trash” left his lips, a heavy weight crushed his shoulder.

“Say that again.” Ning Youji stared at him, grabbing Ji Qing’s hair from behind and forcing his head up. His pupils, burning with a black flame, seemed ready to pierce through Ji Qing, and his voice was bone chilling. “Who is trash?”

As he spoke, Ning Youji released his pheromones to suppress him. He returned exactly what Ji Qing had done to Lin Yan, but with double the intensity. The pheromones were so violent that Ji Qing’s breathing became ragged. His body felt as if it were burning, a direct and brutal confrontation between two Alphas.

Ji Qing let out a physiological cry of pain. He felt the hand on his shoulder grow heavier until his body could no longer withstand the pressure. With a loud thud, Ji Qing was forced to his knees by the sheer weight of Ning Youji’s pheromones. Shaking like a leaf, he instinctively cowered. “Brother Ning. I am sorry.”

Ning Youji looked down at him. “To whom are you apologizing?”

Ji Qing hurriedly looked at Lin Yan, his lips trembling. “I am sorry.”

Lin Yan did not even glance at him. He was straining every nerve, leaning against the wall to keep from collapsing. When he felt the sandalwood pheromones, his physical discomfort and irritability vanished, replaced by an unspeakable comfort. The last string of tension in his mind snapped the moment he saw who had arrived. He looked up at Ning Youji, a slight curve appearing at the corners of his mouth. Then his legs gave out, and he began to slide down the wall.

Before he hit the ground, a strong, slender hand reached out and pulled him into a firm embrace. “How did you know I was here?” Lin Yan whispered, leaning weakly into him. He felt a sense of relief that Ning Youji always seemed to save him.

Ning Youji looked down at him, his fingers gently brushing over Lin Yan’s gland, where his own “mark” of possession remained. He released soothing pheromones to calm him. His eyes were as deep as ink, filled with a mix of reproach and heartache. “Why did you not call me? Why did you not tell me?”

Ning Youji had been uneasy ever since the dormitory assignments, especially after running into Gu Yu earlier that day. He had intended to visit Lin Yan, but found the dormitory empty. A roommate told him Lin Yan had been called away by Ji Qing. What followed was a desperate search.

Lin Yan was startled by the questioning tone. It was the first time he had seen Ning Youji so angry. He lowered his voice to explain. “I thought he wouldn’t actually do anything to me. Besides, it is not like I have to report everything to you.” He paused and mumbled, “Otherwise, I would look like a coward.”

As he spoke, he felt a bit like a coward anyway and wanted to laugh at himself. Ning Youji sighed deeply. He looked at Lin Yan for ten seconds, slowly suppressing the irritability in his heart. He unzipped his jacket and pulled Lin Yan into his arms, wrapping the boy in his own warmth. He could feel Lin Yan’s body temperature was abnormally high, and a wave of heartache washed over him. Under such intense Alpha suppression, Lin Yan’s body was reaching its limit. High intensity suppression is extremely damaging to Omegas, especially minors.

“Let us go back,” Lin Yan whispered, his body shivering. He just wanted to leave this place.

“Wait.”

Ning Youji, half-carrying Lin Yan, walked over to Ji Qing. He was not a saint, nor was he particularly magnanimous. “Ji Qing,” he called out, his voice dark and somber. He stared at the person on the ground for a long time before saying coldly, “You know that using pheromones against a minor Omega is a crime. Whether you turn yourself in or I send you in is up to you. You know what needs to be done.”

His eyes were pitch black as he took a step forward. His towering presence made one’s spine tingle with cold. “You know I have never been a ‘good person.’ You have seen how ruthless I can be.”

He emphasized every word, and with each sentence, his suppressive pheromones grew stronger, like a wild Alpha barely restraining his rage. It was both a threat and a warning. Ning Youji spoke with absolute finality. He had more to say, but he felt it was unnecessary.

Ji Qing was stunned. He remembered how Gu Yu had made a similar choice in the past, causing Ning Youji to leave without looking back. Since then, they had been treated as less than strangers. Lost in memory, Ji Qing’s body forgot to resist, and the sandalwood pheromones forced him to clutch his head in agony.

Lin Yan was also surprised. He had heard about the relationship between the three from his roommates today. Logically, they should have been much closer to Ning Youji than he was. Yet Ning Youji was being so uncompromising. Lin Yan looked at Ji Qing on the ground and realized Ning Youji was protecting him. For his sake, Ning Youji was targeting his own childhood friend.

Ji Qing was covered in a cold sweat, his head throbbing and his eyes bloodshot. He looked up at Ning Youji with a hollow expression and a raspy voice. “Ning Youji, are you serious?”

In the darkness, Ning Youji’s eyes drooped slightly. His handsome face was expressionless, but his tone was firm. “I have always been serious.”

He understood the “seriousness” Ji Qing was referring to. He had seriously fallen in love with someone, so he would allow no one to hurt that person.

Ji Qing knit his brows in disbelief and let out a dry, frantic laugh. “Then what about Gu Yu? He sacrificed so much for you!”

The hostility in Ning Youji’s eyes spiked. His Alpha pheromones doubled in strength, crushing down on Ji Qing. Ji Qing had no strength left to resist. Ning Youji looked down at him with contempt, his voice carrying a rare ruthlessness. “Try saying that one more time.”

Lin Yan felt the vibration in Ning Youji’s chest and was startled. It was the first time he had seen him this furious. Even though the pheromones were not directed at him, the sheer intensity made Lin Yan’s legs feel weak. Seeing that Ning Youji was losing control, and remembering his condition, Lin Yan gently patted his chest. He stroked the area a few times as if to soothe him. “Alright, alright. If you keep pressing down, it won’t be self-defense anymore. You will end up in jail.”

As he spoke, a sweet yet stubborn Omega pheromone stimulated the two of them. Lin Yan and Ning Youji looked toward the mouth of the alley. Gu Yu had arrived. He walked straight toward Ji Qing, the scent of sweet roses mixed with cold snow drifting through the air. Lin Yan noticed that Ning Youji did not retract his oppressive pheromones, yet Gu Yu seemed entirely unfazed, as if he could not even feel them.

“Ning Youji, must you be like this?” Gu Yu frowned, his gaze flickering toward the person in Ning Youji’s arms. His heart felt a sharp pang.

Ning Youji’s aura remained cold and distant. “I have always been like this.” He tightened his grip on Lin Yan, like a lion guarding its territory, blocking Gu Yu’s view of him.

Gu Yu stared at Ning Youji, his eyes murky and unreadable. Ning Youji took a step forward, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “I will let it go this time. If there is a next time, I will not be so lenient.” His dark gaze narrowed as he finished, “No matter who it is.”

Ning Youji led Lin Yan out of the alley and toward his own dormitory. He was staying in the teacher’s quarters provided for Su Xue. No one spoke along the way. As they approached the building, Ning Youji finally spoke, his voice slightly hoarse. “I am sorry.”

His eyes were as dark as a deep pool. “I made a unilateral decision regarding Ji Qing. If you want to pursue it legally, I will not stop you. It is what he deserves.”

Lin Yan looked up at him and chuckled. “I never planned to pursue it. You were the one who told him to turn himself in. Besides, you already bullied him back for me. If I kept pushing, I would look petty. And I am fine. I was actually planning to punch him twice if he got closer. Do not look at me like that; I was just acting. The School Boss of No. 1 High School isn’t that weak.” In truth, if Ning Youji hadn’t arrived, Lin Yan really would have fought to the bitter end.

Ning Youji stopped and met Lin Yan’s clear eyes. After a few seconds, he said with absolute sincerity, “Thank you.”

Lin Yan was taken aback. Such a formal thank you made him feel a bit strange. At the same time, he felt a twinge of annoyance, thinking about how they had grown up together. As Ning Youji opened the door, he added quietly, “But I do not intend to let it go just like that.”

Lin Yan didn’t hear him clearly. “What did you say?”

Ning Youji pulled him inside by the waist. “Nothing.” No one would be allowed to hurt him.

Inside the dormitory, Lin Yan looked around. It was a two bedroom apartment with a kitchen. “Ning Youji!” Lin Yan called out.

Ning Youji emerged from the kitchen with a glass of warm water. “Yes?”

“I seriously suspect the school of favoritism!” Lin Yan compared it to his own dorm and felt it paled in comparison. “Did you bribe the school? Why do you get to live here while we have to crowd together?”

Ning Youji saw him slumped on the sofa, exhausted yet curious, and could not help but laugh. He brought the water to Lin Yan’s lips. The weather was cold, and after the Alpha suppression, Lin Yan’s lips were dry and pale. With Ning Youji’s help, Lin Yan took a sip and felt his energy return.

“Ning Youji, tell me the truth,” Lin Yan began to chatter now that he felt better. “Are you the son of the university principal?”

Ning Youji put the water on the coffee table. He watched Lin Yan’s hydrated lips move, a trace of tenderness appearing in his eyes. Lin Yan continued to talk. Ning Youji listened, and as the conversation went on, he felt he could not let the small Omega out of his sight after what happened.

“Why don’t you move in?” he asked. “Then it will be your dormitory too.”

Lin Yan froze. He had just been joking around. Seeing his hesitation, Ning Youji pressed on. He pointed to the bedroom next door. “You can stay in this room. It has a two meter bed, air conditioning, and I just brought over fresh blankets.”

Lin Yan’s eyes lit up at the mention of the large bed and fresh blankets. It would be a waste not to stay. “Let me borrow some pajamas then. I will stay tonight.”

Ning Youji was impressed by his carefree attitude. He leaned in and whispered into Lin Yan’s ear, “I am an Alpha. Are you sure you want to stay?”

The raspy voice and the scent of Alpha pheromones made Lin Yan stiffen for a moment, but then he rolled his eyes. “Brothers do not care about Alpha or Omega distinctions. Hurry up; I want to shower.”

Now it was Ning Youji’s turn to be speechless.

A problem arose when Ning Youji brought out the clothes: Lin Yan was so weak he could barely stand. Lin Yan looked at him and said, “Why don’t we shower together?”

Ning Youji’s throat moved. “Maybe you should just skip the shower.”

Ultimately, Ning Youji ran a bath for him instead. After Lin Yan returned to his room, Ning Youji took his own clothes to the bathroom. The room was still filled with the scent of the Omega. Ning Youji closed his eyes, took a breath, and finished his shower quickly. He was at a restless age; staying too long in a place filled with an Omega’s scent was dangerous.

When he came out, his usual restrained expression was gone. His throat felt itchy, and his pheromones were restless. It took him half an hour in the living room to stabilize. He knocked on Lin Yan’s door, but there was no response. He pushed it open tentatively. As expected, the Omega had no defenses at all. He did not enter, but stood at the doorway and released some soothing Alpha pheromones. A startled Omega would sleep better with soothing pheromones, and given their high compatibility, the effect was doubled.

Lin Yan slept soundly and without dreams. The large bed was indeed comfortable. Lin Yan was a messy sleeper; at some point, he had undone two buttons of his pajamas, revealing his fair collarbones and a bit of his chest. He yawned and walked out with drooping eyelids. Smelling something delicious, he asked, “Ning Youji, are you making breakfast? It smells so good.”

Su Xue, who was putting on her shoes at the door, froze. She realized why Ning Youji had been rushing her to leave. He was hiding a “treasure” in his house! She glanced at her son, skipped changing her shoes, and walked past him into the room.

“Lin Yan, is it?” Su Xue’s voice was gentle. She looked the boy up and down. He was wearing her son’s pajamas, and the smile on her lips grew wider.

Lin Yan’s sleepiness vanished instantly. He stared at the woman. The temporary homeroom teacher? He looked to Ning Youji for help. Ning Youji leaned against the wall, watching them.

“Hello, Teacher. I am Lin Yan,” he managed to say.

Su Xue smiled warmly. “In private, you can call me Auntie. No need for ‘Teacher.'”

Lin Yan was unsure how to handle her sudden friendliness. He mouthed to Ning Youji, “What is going on?”

Ning Youji sat at the table. “Mom, you are going to scare him.”

Su Xue looked at her son and then at Lin Yan. “Am I scary?”

Lin Yan blinked and waved his hands. “No, no, not at all.” Then he realized what Ning Youji had called her. Mom?! He looked back and forth between the two, never imagining they were related.

“Xiao Yan, come and try my cooking. I do not cook often, so I do not know how it tastes.” Su Xue pulled Lin Yan to the table. Lin Yan was in a daze throughout the meal.

After they left the house, seeing that Lin Yan was still being so obedient, Ning Youji could not help but smile. “Are you that afraid of her?”

Lin Yan thought for a moment. “Do you think I behave well in class?”

Ning Youji glanced at him. “Quite well.”

“Really?” Lin Yan said. “I am worried that if I do not behave, your mother will tell you to stop seeing me.”

Ning Youji paused. A smile touched his eyes as he reached out and gently squeezed the back of Lin Yan’s neck. “She won’t. You are very likable.”