What to Do If Beta Cannot Be Marked? - Chapter 24.2

Lu Zhi tossed the ball to him and said, “Too many in his phone. Doesn’t need more for now.”

“…” Jiang Jin caught the ball and spun it in his hands, nearly driven crazy by Lu Zhi. “You don’t even like that stuff, so why do you sound so familiar with it?”

“I’m guessing.” Lu Zhi almost rolled his eyes but restrained himself, letting only a trace of indifference show in his gaze. “You actually believe that?”

Jiang Jin: “…”

With years of experience as childhood friends, Jiang Jin could clearly read the “you’re so stupid” expression on Lu Zhi’s face.

“I’m not playing anymore! I’m mad!” Jiang Jin tucked the ball under his arm, genuinely intending to stop.

Unexpectedly, before he even finished speaking, Lu Zhi turned and walked away, as if he had already predicted this move just like during their game.

Jiang Jin: “?”

Jiang Jin stared wide-eyed: “You’re really leaving?”

Lu Zhi didn’t look back: “Class starts in ten minutes. Heading back.”

Jiang Jin: “…”

Seeing him approach, Chi Jinxian immediately stood up and followed, offering him water.

“Lu Zhi.”

Lu Zhi first washed his hands at the faucet, then took the bottle and drank a few sips, thanking him.

Perhaps because too many happy things had happened today, Chi Jinxian’s mind still felt somewhat floaty. Suddenly, he couldn’t resist asking a question.

He lowered his gaze to stare at his toes for a moment, keeping pace with Lu Zhi step by step, and called out, “Lu Zhi.”

Lu Zhi slowed his pace slightly, waiting for him to catch up before glancing sideways. “Hm?”

Chi Jinxian felt nervous, and probably a little scared too.

He whispered, “Do you dislike Betas?”

At these words, Lu Zhi’s hand, which had been about to screw the cap back on the bottle, paused, and his footsteps halted. Jiang Jin, who had just returned the ball to the equipment room and caught up, also suddenly turned much more serious upon hearing this.

“Hey, what are you guys talking about!” Jiang Jin ran over and slapped Lu Zhi’s shoulder, asking exaggeratedly.

The atmosphere around them had felt somewhat off just then. Chi Jinxian immediately shook his head, waving his hands to say it was nothing.

But Lu Zhi came to a complete stop and asked him, “Why are you asking that?”

“Ah I, no.” Lu Zhi’s expression was clearly unpleasant. The earlier nervousness instantly transformed into ice that made one’s hands and feet turn cold. Chi Jinxian subconsciously rubbed his tingling fingertips and explained, “I heard it from… someone else. Lu Zhi, I didn’t mean anything by it, I just, I won’t ask anymore. Just pretend I never asked, okay? Don’t be angry.”

His voice grew softer and softer, as if he had committed some unforgivable mistake and now deserved to be punished by guilt.

“I’m not angry.” Lu Zhi frowned and said, “You asked, so you asked. It’s not like I’m going to eat you.”

Hearing this, Jiang Jin, who had been pondering what to say, looked at him with some surprise.

But he felt considerably more relieved.

Chi Jinxian’s tense shoulders visibly relaxed a little as well.

After a moment of silence, Lu Zhi spoke again, enunciating each word calmly: “I really dislike it.”

Chi Jinxian’s previously relaxed shoulders seemed to tighten immediately.

So it’s true, the rumors circulating at school and on the forums were accurate!

But if he dislikes it, then so be it. Fortunately, I’m currently an “Omega,” Chi Jinxian thought with particular optimism.

As for the reason behind the other’s dislike, Chi Jinxian absolutely dared not ask further. He forced a smile onto his face, as if trying to brush past this incident.

Lu Zhi went along with his wishes and didn’t bring it up again after speaking.

If Brother Lu said he wasn’t angry, then he definitely wasn’t angry, just as Chi Jinxian only believed Lu Zhi’s statement about not liking him. However, Chi Jinxian himself felt somewhat guilty. Regardless of why Lu Zhi strongly disliked Betas, his reaction at the time had clearly indicated that the reason must be something he deeply detested. Bringing up someone’s aversion for no reason naturally made him feel uneasy.

Thus, today Chi Jinxian was even more well-behaved than usual. He occasionally told Lu Zhi a corny joke, fetched water for him as soon as class ended, and during lunch, he only picked dishes that Lu Zhi liked to eat.

When the afternoon long break began, Chi Jinxian immediately turned around again. Perhaps because he had been subjected to Chi’s chattering all day, Lu Zhi felt thoroughly tormented. The moment the other turned around, he immediately said, “Turn back.”

Chi Jinxian’s mouth fell slightly open, completely failing to showcase his usual energy, and he let out a defeated sigh.

But he really wanted to say something more. Just as he was about to speak, he froze mid-action.

The small dot in the center of the silver Smart Ring had suddenly lit up. Distracted by the flash in his peripheral vision, Chi Jinxian instinctively lowered his gaze and caught the last trace of color as the light faded.

Lu Zhi’s gaze was also drawn to it, staring intently at the spot.

“Why did it light up?” Lu Zhi asked after a long pause, noticing Chi Jinxian’s lack of movement.

“Ah, it usually wakes me up for simple tasks like getting up in the morning,” Chi Jinxian said dismissively. “It also checks my vital signs every day, it’s just an ordinary Smart Ring. It’s lit up several times already, and I don’t know why, so I think it just likes to act up.” At this, he even laughed, threatening the inanimate object like a child. “When I get home, I’ll have my dad replace it with a new one.”

Before this, the Smart Ring had already lit up three times. Each time Chi Jinxian went to the hospital, his vital signs report showed no changes, and he hadn’t undergone a second differentiation he didn’t feel any signs of differentiation now.

Chi Jinxian assumed this time would be the same. Besides, school would end after the first evening self-study session, so he planned to tell his dad about it when he got home, to avoid them panicking and rushing to pick him up like last time.

But this time, he miscalculated.

Not long into the fourth afternoon class, Chi Jinxian suddenly felt his throat dry. Thinking he hadn’t drunk enough water today, he downed an entire glass in one go, but the dryness didn’t ease at all.

Staring at the empty cup, Chi Jinxian gradually furrowed his brows, unable to resist swallowing several times. A while later, his slightly furrowed brows tightened into a deep frown, and his face turned pale.

A scorching sensation surged from the throat downward and from the lower abdomen upward, converging toward the chest in a dual assault. This time, the thirst wasn’t just in the throat it consumed his entire body.

Chi Jinxian felt waves of numbing pain spreading through his bloodstream, as if his blood had been brought to a boil, threatening to erupt. It desperately needed something to neutralize or even suppress, this overwhelming heat.

Yet Chi Jinxian had no idea what that something should be.

Before long, he began to feel as though the skin on his body was losing sensation. The biology teacher had explained the structure of ABO in great detail. Since Chi Jinxian hadn’t undergone his second gender differentiation yet and Lu Zhi disliked Betas, he often wondered if his secondary gender might be Omega. Because of this, he studied the subject with great seriousness, almost as if preparing himself for the possibility of being an Omega.

He knew what the second gender differentiation was supposed to feel like and it wasn’t like this.

He also knew what an Omega’s Heat was supposed to be like and it wasn’t like this.

The fear of the unknown and the pain of the known both terrified Chi Jinxian. Not only was his face pale, but his lips had also lost all color. Only his breathing grew increasingly heavy.

He tried hard to curl his fingers, clutching the hem of his school uniform. The real pain immediately shot through his scalp from the friction, and Chi Jinxian quickly let go.

“Cash?” Jiang Baixiao had been watching him for two minutes and couldn’t hold back any longer. “Cash, are you feeling unwell?”

Chi Jinxian didn’t catch what Jiang Baixiao said. He hurriedly raised his hand and said, “Teacher, I need to go to the restroom.”

His voice sounded like that of a desert traveler who hadn’t had water for days hoarse and strained. Only after clearing his throat and repeating himself did it improve slightly.

Jiang Baixiao thought he just had a stomachache and sighed in relief. Chi Jinxian stood up and walked out. As he opened the back door, he stumbled for some reason but managed to grab the doorframe in time.

Once in the restroom, Chi Jinxian pushed open a stall at random, sat trembling on the toilet lid, and finally allowed his ragged breathing to show. He clutched the fabric over his chest tightly, and soon a layer of sweat covered the back of his hand.

He didn’t want to ask for leave in front of so many classmates, so he had rushed to the restroom. Besides, in this state, he couldn’t go home anyway.

The phone rang with the “beep ” tone indicating an incoming call. Those few seconds felt like an eternity to Chi Jinxian.

“Hey, An An.” Yuan Si Bai’s voice came through the screen. Perhaps it was psychological, but Chi Jinxian actually felt a bit better. “Aren’t you in class? Why are you calling now?”

The immense fear and dread eased slightly at the sound of that voice. Chi Jinxian’s lips trembled as he called out, “Dad.”

“An An?” Yuan Si Bai was startled by his voice and asked urgently, “What’s wrong?”

“Dad, I.” Chi Jinxian’s voice cracked with unshed tears. He stammered, “I, I’m in so much pain. I feel awful. It feels like, like something’s missing inside me, but I don’t know what it is. Please come pick me up and take me home…”

A loud crash came from the other end, as if something had fallen. Chi Jinxian could no longer focus on what Yuan Si Bai was saying. He continued pleading, “My Smart Ring lit up this afternoon. I thought I’d wait until after school to talk about it, but I feel so terrible now.”

“Dad, am I, am I going to die?”

“Shut up!” Yuan Si Bai cut him off sharply, his breathing heavy. It was the first time he had spoken in such a stern tone. “Chi Jinxian, if you keep talking nonsense, I’ll hit you when we pick you up Chi Sui, Chi Sui An An, don’t hang up, don’t be scared, it’s okay. Five minutes, your dad and I will be there in five minutes.”

Chi Jinxian, still clutching his clothes, let out a weak “Mm” in response, as if he barely had the strength to speak.

To distract himself from the waves of pain surging through him, Chi Jinxian let his eyes wander around the small cubicle, trying to divert his attention.

After a moment, his gaze fixed on the lock button behind the door he had been too panicked when he came in to lock it. It wouldn’t be good if someone came in after class and got scared, Chi Jinxian thought.

He released his grip on his clothes and reached out to lock the door, but before he could, the tightly shut door was suddenly pushed open, leaving him no time to stop it.

Just as Chi Jinxian was struggling to say, “Sorry, someone’s here,” he looked up and forgot all his words.

Lu Zhi stood straight in front of him, and upon seeing Chi Jinxian’s condition, his previously relaxed brow instantly furrowed tightly.

“What’s wrong with you?” he instinctively reached out to touch Chi Jinxian’s forehead it was frighteningly hot. Yet, despite this, there was no flush of fever on his cheeks; only his lips were blood-red, marked with a row of fierce bite marks.

Chi Jinxian had just suppressed the thought of whether he might die, but upon seeing Lu Zhi, the idea rushed back into his mind with even greater intensity.

The thought that he might never see his parents or Lu Zhi again made feelings of sadness and sorrow momentarily overpower his fear of death. Already in severe pain, Chi Jinxian couldn’t hold back, and tears began to fall like broken strings of jade beads from the corners of his eyes.

He said, “I feel awful.”

Lu Zhi was stunned, almost staring blankly at Chi Jinxian’s tears.

When he spoke again, his voice was slightly strained. “Where does it hurt?”

“It’s just.” Chi Jinxian, experiencing this for the first time, couldn’t articulate the specific sensation.

Lu Zhi then asked him, “Are you craving something?”

Chi Jinxian’s tears fell even more heavily, and he let out a sobbing “Mm.”

Lu Zhi: “Craving pheromones?”

Chi Jinxian blinked his tear-soaked eyelashes, feeling a wave of dizziness. To keep from falling off the seat, he instinctively grabbed Lu Zhi’s clothes.

Lu Zhi let him hold on and stepped closer, allowing Chi Jinxian to lean against him. “Are you in your heat period?”

No, what he learned in textbooks wasn’t like this, and Bai Xiao had also told him about the feelings of heat twice it wasn’t this.

Chi Jinxian wanted to deny it, but the words wouldn’t come out.

Lu Zhi then added, “Aren’t you a Beta? Why are you in heat?”