What to Do If Beta Cannot Be Marked? - Chapter 21

The scent of silver bell orchids had grown faint, yet not a single trace escaped permeating the entire classroom. The midday sky blazed with scorching enthusiasm, lending this originally subtle and elegant fragrance a viscous texture.

Lu Zhi’s face was half-hidden in the shadows cast by the wall as he said, “Speak.”

“Phe, pheromones?” Chi Jinxian repeated with a hint of disbelief, as if he didn’t fully grasp the meaning of the words. But Lu Zhi’s expression showed no sign of joking he wasn’t the type to jest.

Yet Chi Jinxian couldn’t detect anyone’s scent on himself. As a Beta, pinned under Lu Zhi’s hawk-like gaze, the intense stare seemed to materialize and pierce through his very soul. Panic surged within Chi Jinxian, fear that his inability to smell pheromones would be exposed.

“Whose?” Lu Zhi pressed again, his tone bordering on impatience.

The urge to guard his secret raced like a rollercoaster swift and deadly. Amid the numbing thrill of his senses, a powerful survival instinct burst forth, and Chi Jinxian remembered!

“After class, I accidentally bumped into a classmate on the stairs and sent him to the infirmary. But this morning, an Omega went into heat during one of the classes, the school doctor mentioned it. There was still some scent lingering in there, so it must be from that Omega.” He blurted it all out in one breath, speaking so fast there was no room for interruption.

Chi Jinxian dared not take this explanation lightly. Everyone knew Lu Zhi had a severe “cleanliness” obsession not just toward himself, but also imposing strict standards on those around him. The general rule was: if you wanted to stay in his circle, don’t show up carrying any messy scents.

To this day, the school forum had a more precise interpretation of this unverified rumor Lu Zhi lived by the sea, and his reach was absurdly wide.

Yet there were still those who flocked to Lu Zhi, willingly “bowing and scraping” just to earn a second glance from him.

Chi Jinxian pondered; if his memory served him right, in two years of following him, this was the first time he had been this close to Lu Zhi, the first time Lu Zhi had grabbed him.

For a moment, Chi Jinxian couldn’t decide whether to be grateful for this stranger’s pheromones or to feel a bit aggrieved after all, he had been somewhat frightened by Lu Zhi.

After a tense standoff, Lu Zhi seemed to accept the explanation and released his grip, though an indiscernible darkness lingered in his eyes.

“What’s going on here?” Suddenly, the half-open back door was pushed wide open. Jiang Jin walked in carrying two packed lunch boxes. Taking in the atmosphere between them, he looked puzzled, then turned to Chi Jinxian and greeted, “Cash is back.”

Lu Zhi pulled the chair, which had been pushed aside, back into place and sat down silently.

Chi Jinxian: “Yeah. Hey, Brother Jiang.”

Jiang Jin placed both lunches on Lu Zhi’s desk and chuckled, “After school, I came to find Lu Zhi for lunch, but you weren’t here, and Lu Zhi’s meal card was with you. Ended up leaving me, a lonely soul, to eat at the cafeteria alone.”

Chi Jinxian scratched his head sheepishly, avoiding eye contact. The earlier palpitations were gradually dispelled by this shift in atmosphere, almost vanishing entirely.

Jiang Jin continued, “He’s stubborn. He wouldn’t even go when I invited him to eat. It’s not like he doesn’t have his phone, but he still refused.” Pausing briefly, Jiang Jin let out a thoughtful “tsk” and glanced teasingly at Chi Jinxian, adding, “Turns out he was waiting for you specifically.”

Thud. The desk was tapped lightly with a pen. Though seated, Lu Zhi lifted his eyelids with an air of condescending authority.

“Speak properly,” he said, his face expressionless.

Jiang Jin fell silent under his gaze, smiling and nodding as he closed his mouth. Chi Jinxian’s “How could that be?” was also swallowed back.

“He just didn’t feel like going today. Even if he had his meal card, he wouldn’t have gone,” Jiang Jin explained seriously to Chi Jinxian. “I didn’t know when you’d be back, so I thought I’d bring you a meal. Since I was already getting one, I figured I might as well get two. Whether he eats it or not is up to him.”

Chi Jinxian glanced at the takeout box on Lu Zhi’s desk and felt even more embarrassed. “Thanks, Brother Jiang.”

“No problem. Then I Huh?” Jiang Jin’s tone shifted, tinged with curiosity. “Little Cash, did you go out with someone during class instead of coming back?”

After a momentary daze, Chi Jinxian understood what he meant and couldn’t help furrowing his brows slightly.

He wondered, Can someone’s pheromones linger on another person so easily? Forget having pheromones, I can’t even smell them. How annoying. Otherwise, maybe I could secretly leave my own pheromones on,

The image of Lu Zhi inspecting his territory like a wild beast flashed through his mind, abruptly cutting off his unhealthy train of thought. Chi Jinxian quickly rubbed his forehead to smooth his expression and straightened his attitude.

Better not to have pheromones at all. Betas are great no need to endure the discomfort of Heat Periods. Every advantage has its drawback.

Besides, even if his earlier idea came true, he’d probably be strangled before he could even attempt to leave his pheromones on Lu Zhi.

“Though it’s just a trace, probably an accidental transfer,” Jiang Jin added, slightly twitching his nostrils.

“Yeah,” Chi Jinxian recounted the earlier incident. As students began trickling back to class after lunch, Jiang Jin chuckled and said, “No wonder. You two should eat quickly. I’m off.”

With that, he stepped out the back door. Chi Jinxian moved to follow as if to go with him. Lu Zhi’s gaze lifted imperceptibly, his eyes sharp enough to halt Chi Jinxian in his tracks. Every hair on Chi Jinxian’s body seemed to sense Lu Zhi’s attention, and he stopped obediently, speaking timidly, “Brother Lu, I’m going to the restroom, I meant to go before taking my classmate to the infirmary, but I forgot in the rush. Now I’m about to burst.”

Lu Zhi’s gaze dropped, no longer watching him. Chi Jinxian dashed off like an unspooled kite, calling out before he left, “Brother Lu, remember to eat!”

Jiang Jin had likely run into a classmate in the hallway and hadn’t returned to his classroom yet. Chi Jinxian slowed his pace as he reached him and said, “Afternoon, Brother Jiang.”

Noting Chi Jinxian’s earlier sprint and the way he’d automatically veered toward the wall, Jiang Jin realized Chi Jinxian hadn’t blown past him and was still talking to him.

But hadn’t they just said goodbye? Jiang Jin glanced at him in confusion, nodding as if it were their first meeting today. “Yeah, Cash good noon.”

“Brother Jiang,” Chi Jinxian smiled, asking cautiously yet urgently, “Does Brother Lu particularly dislike others carrying scents from other people?”

Jiang Jin instinctively replied, “That’s what’s being said on the school forum.”

“No wonder,” Chi Jinxian said. After expressing thanks, he immediately turned and dashed off, heading straight for the restroom.

Watching his swift and unrestrained figure come and go, Jiang Jin frowned. He had no idea what had happened between Lu Zhi and Chi Jinxian, leaving him utterly bewildered.

He couldn’t help muttering to himself, “No wonder what? What others say is their business. Why should he care whose scent others carry? It’s not like he has nothing better to do.”

After murmuring this, he thought to himself: When I play basketball, I often carry the scents of other Alphas, but I’ve never seen Lu Zhi react to it.

After washing his hands, Chi Jinxian stared at his reflection in the mirror for a moment. Then, using his damp fingertips, he lightly pinched his school uniform and brought it to his nose to sniff,

He couldn’t smell anything. Only the clean scents of laundry detergent and sunshine.

But Lu Zhi had seemed genuinely disgusted earlier, clearly angry. When Brother Lu gets angry, he tends to ignore people, just like the night before last.

At this thought, Chi Jinxian became instantly alert and tense. He put down the uniform, now slightly damp in one spot, and pondered seriously.

He decisively took off his school uniform.

Chi Jinxian wasn’t short, but his frame wasn’t particularly large. When wearing loose clothing, he appeared somewhat slender, though not fragile rather, he had a well-proportioned and strong build.

Freed from the constraints of the school uniform, his white T-shirt hung loosely just below his waistline. When a breeze passed, it faintly revealed the thin, taut lines of his torso. But there was no wind in the classroom, so the T-shirt draped loosely over him, making his already fair skin appear even more porcelain-like.

“Brother Lu, why aren’t you eating?” Chi Jinxian bundled his school uniform into a ball, intending to stuff it into his backpack upon returning to his seat.

But as soon as he closed the back door, he noticed that not only had Lu Zhi not touched the takeout box on his desk, but he, too, wasn’t wearing his school uniform.

Chi Jinxian’s movement of closing the door was so gentle it seemed subconscious. If he didn’t know better and if it weren’t utterly impossible he might have thought he and Lu Zhi had agreed to take off their uniforms together!

Lu Zhi wore headphones, his eyes fixed intently on his book as he studied.

Without the bright colors of the school uniform, the solitary black T-shirt made the young man appear even more calm and inscrutable.

The deep, dark hue accentuated Lu Zhi’s striking features slightly but also magnified the seemingly innate gloom about him several times over.

It was as if he were destined to grow up in silence and solitude.

As if noticing the movement at the back door, Lu Zhi glanced up at Chi Jinxian, then quickly lowered his gaze again. He merely uttered a soft “Hmm” and said nothing more.

Yet, for some reason, the almost chaotic hostility that had been swirling around him moments earlier seemed to dissipate significantly after that glance, becoming much milder.

Lu Zhi’s school uniform was casually placed on the desk against the wall. Chi Jinxian thought his Lu-ge must have been feeling hot, but deep down, another voice whispered that Lu Zhi had taken it off precisely because he had just grabbed you and found your touch disgusting.

The more he thought about it, the more it seemed plausible. Chi Jinxian let out a regretful sigh, having initially hoped that Lu-ge would wear the school uniform he had touched all the way home.

“Lu-ge, aren’t you going to eat?” Chi Jinxian packed the uniform away and twisted around to ask again.

Without looking up, Lu Zhi replied, “No.”

“Ah, why not?” Chi Jinxian tried to impart the wisdom of eating on time for good health. “Then I won’t eat either.”

Lu Zhi: “…”

The pen spinning between Lu Zhi’s fingers suddenly halted, as if someone had hit the pause button.

He lifted his gaze, his eyes not exactly friendly and even carrying a hint of gloom. “I’m not hungry.”

“I’m not very hungry either,” Chi Jinxian said.

“Then why do you mooch meals every day?” Lu Zhi stared at him expressionlessly, his gaze intense enough to burn a hole through him.

Chi Jinxian’s heart skipped a beat. How could he say he wasn’t hungry? If he wasn’t hungry, wouldn’t the image of being starved by Chi Sui every day completely collapse? That simply wouldn’t do!

“Not very hungry, but still hungry!” Chi Jinxian reached for the takeout box on Lu Zhi’s desk, desperately trying to salvage the situation. “Ugh, my dad’s abuse has scrambled my brains. Lu-ge, you study. I can eat two portions!”

As soon as Jiang Baixiao returned, he saw Chi Jinxian at his seat… devouring his food as if afraid someone would snatch it away.

Unexpectedly, when Chi Jinxian spotted him, his eyes lit up.

Jiang Baixiao grew instantly wary under his gaze and widened his eyes. “What?”

“Baixiao,” Chi Jinxian looked up at him, blinking, and spoke with the tender concern of a mother doting on her child, “Are you full?”

Suspicious, Jiang Baixiao sat down and patted his stomach as he replied, “Sort of.”

With a rustle, Chi Jinxian placed a perfectly intact takeout box in front of him.

“Here, my sister-from-another-mister, I never forget you, no matter where I go. I even brought an extra portion for you. Eat up.”

Jiang Baixiao: “…”

Afraid that Lu Zhi would latch onto the “not hungry” comment, Chi Jinxian didn’t dare make too much of a scene. He just stared pitifully at Jiang Baixiao and whispered, “I can’t finish it.”

Free food was always a good thing. Seeing no danger, Jiang Baixiao happily obliged and eagerly tackled the problem.

When you take someone’s help, you owe them; when you eat someone’s food, you soften your words. Having shared a meal as desk mates, he had to offer some praise. Jiang Baixiao’s eyes discreetly swept over Lu Zhi, then boldly glanced at Chi Jinxian, finally pinpointing what had felt off since he entered the classroom.

“Hey, Cash,” Jiang Baixiao leaned close to Chi Jinxian, almost whispering, “Are you and the class president wearing matching outfits today?”

Chi Jinxian nearly bit through the tip of his chopsticks with his bright white teeth and quickly gulped down two mouthfuls of water to suppress a cough.

He blinked rapidly, incredulous. “What?”

As he spoke, he had already turned to look back with the gaze of “Lu Zhi and I are a couple.”

They were just T-shirts, and designs probably didn’t vary much, with loose fits being particularly common. But this black and white pairing was unexpectedly well-matched.

Because of two nearly identical but completely insignificant pieces of clothing, Chi Jinxian’s thoughts had already galloped like a wild horse across the prairie, making an R-rated round trip, and his face was flushed.

“Tsk,” Jiang Baixiao shook his head with a sigh, unable to resist teasing him. “You’re the one who’s supposed to be the relentless pursuer, so how come you’re also the one blushing like a virgin, little Cash?”

Chi Jinxian kicked him under the table and hissed, “Shut up, shut up.”

It was almost late autumn, and the temperature difference between morning, evening, and noon felt like two distinct seasons, starkly contrasting.

A T-shirt was enough at noon, but by afternoon, an extra jacket was necessary.

In the last ten minutes, the teacher knew it was impossible to keep these restless students who were eager to get home. Even in their senior year of high school, they still had that boisterous spirit.

The teacher stopped lecturing and let them do whatever they wanted in the remaining time, completely letting go.

Chi Jinxian stuffed the homework due in the next two days into his backpack, then took out the rose and love letter and placed them in his desk drawer, planning to deliver them after school.

As if in no hurry to leave, while the rest of the class was already unable to contain their restless hearts, only Lu Zhi remained unmoved, still wearing headphones and working on English listening exercises.

Only in the last second before the bell rang did he leisurely remove his headphones and methodically pack his things.

The other students had long since rushed out of the classroom in a noisy crowd.

Chi Jinxian waited for him to finish packing, as usual, to walk out of the school gate together.

“Lu-ge.”

“Hm.” Lu Zhi didn’t even look up, and before Chi Jinxian could say anything else, he slung his backpack over one shoulder and said indifferently, “I don’t like you.”

Chi Jinxian’s “I like you” rolled around in his throat, failing to form coherent words but instead bubbling out into a cheerful laugh.

Hearing him laugh, Lu Zhi seemed genuinely drawn in and silently watched him.

Chi Jinxian’s eyes sparkled as he laughed. “Lu-ge, you’re so practiced at this.”

So practiced it was almost criminal. The other students who hadn’t left yet felt the same and chuckled quietly along.

Lu Zhi: “…”

“Lu-ge, I ”

“Tap, tap, tap.” The sound of knuckles lightly rapping on the glass interrupted what was about to become a one-sided conversation. Chi Jinxian cut himself off and turned to look out the window.

Nan Mengbai was leaning on a single crutch, and when someone looked over, he smiled and greeted them. “Why aren’t you leaving yet?”

Chi Jinxian hadn’t expected to see him again, and so soon at that. He thought Nan Mengbai had already taken leave and gone home.

“Oh, I was just about to leave,” Chi Jinxian said, glancing at Lu Zhi. He added in a somewhat embarrassed whisper, “I was confessing, and you interrupted me out of nowhere.”

The window was closed, but his lighthearted, slightly flustered voice still carried through the transparent glass to Nan Mengbai.

Nan Mengbai chuckled softly and said, “Then I’d better apologize quickly. Sorry.”

Chi Jinxian asked, “Why haven’t you taken leave and gone home yet?”

The two exchanged words back and forth, while Lu Zhi stood there, eyes half-lowered, not saying a word.

For some reason, the half of the class that remained had suddenly slowed their packing, though their peripheral vision had long since begun to wander uncontrollably.

Hearing this, Nan Mengbai shifted to a more comfortable stance and said, “I was going to, but I suddenly remembered something, so I stayed an extra afternoon.”

Chi Jinxian: “Hm?”

Nan Mengbai coughed lightly and rubbed the tip of his nose as if embarrassed. “I was too abrupt yesterday. Does this count as fate today?”

“…” After a moment of silence, Chi Jinxian still didn’t understand: “Huh?”

Nan Mengbai lowered his eyelashes, not daring to look at anyone, and just rubbed his nose again: “Contact information.”

Silence fell. In this quiet atmosphere, for some unknown reason, Chi Jinxian suddenly felt not only uneasy in his heart, but also inexplicably chilled.

With a glance, he saw Lu Zhi indeed giving him a gloomy look! It appeared lazy and casual, yet carried immense pressure.

Similar to when he was angry this afternoon.

But then, Lu Zhi reached out to open the back door, as if unwilling to look at Chi Jinxian any longer, and strode away.

Until the next second, an extremely faint scent tentatively emerged like a kitten extending its paw. It couldn’t be detected from further away, but those in the back row like Chi Jinxian and the others would definitely catch it.

Silver Bell Freesia.

Lu Zhi’s eyes suddenly lifted, pausing in front of Nan Mengbai in the corridor, his overly dark pupils revealing nothing.

Nan Mengbai stood there leaning on his crutch, confused, letting Lu Zhi stare at him unfavorably.

“Lu-ge, wait for me, let’s go together.” Chi Jinxian quickly followed Lu Zhi, speaking anxiously behind him.

As the back door opened, the power of the approaching late autumn revealed itself. Chi Jinxian felt a slightly cool breeze blow through all his pores before he could close them, so his exposed skin absorbed a gust of cold air, making him shiver involuntarily.

Fortunately, it was only momentary; after a few seconds, he could adapt.

Chi Jinxian thought to himself, I wonder if there’s still any scent on the school uniform. After saying goodbye to Lu-ge at the school gate later, I’ll take out the uniform and put it on.

“Cold?” Suddenly, Lu Zhi’s voice asked this.

Chi Jinxian thought his inner thoughts had been heard, startling him, and he reflexively told the truth: “A, a little bit.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Chi Jinxian felt his vision darken, his head instantly covered by a layer of soft, comfortable fabric.

Chi Jinxian quickly pulled the clothes down to reveal a pair of bright eyes, blinking slightly in confusion, only to see the school uniform that was just in Lu Zhi’s hands now on him!

“Wash it clean and give it back to me on Monday.” Lu Zhi said.

Chi Jinxian was still looking down at the school uniform, completely unable to believe it.

Lu Zhi added: “Put it on.” His tone carried almost a hint of command.

As if afraid the other would change his mind, Chi Jinxian put on Lu Zhi’s school uniform in two seconds, quickly zipping it up to his neck, behaving extraordinarily obediently.

After seeing him properly dressed, Lu Zhi’s expression seemed to soften slightly.

He asked: “Do you have anything else to do?”

“Huh? What?” Today, not only had Lu-ge touched him proactively, but he also got to wear Lu-ge’s clothes. The immense happiness and satisfaction overwhelmed Chi Jinxian’s 17-year-old brain, and he shook his head with a foolish grin, “besotted by beauty”: “No, Lu-ge, let’s head to the school gate together.”

Lu Zhi took one last look at Nan Mengbai, lowering his eyelids: “Mm.”

Chi Jinxian followed, swinging the overly long sleeves of the school uniform.

Very few people had directly experienced the scent of Lu Zhi’s pheromones, and Chi Jinxian, being a Beta, couldn’t smell it. But if Jiang Jin were here, he would definitely recognize the school uniform on Chi Jinxian, it was saturated with Lu Zhi’s pheromones.