What to Do If Beta Cannot Be Marked? - Chapter 27.1

Chi Jinxian genuinely wanted to reply his fingers were practically itching to type out a response! But he was terrified that if he replied, Lu Zhi would immediately confront him about being a Beta.

He didn’t want to face reality.

From the very beginning until now, every single day Chi Jinxian had pursued Lu Zhi, he had put his heart into it so much so that he had fully immersed himself in the role, even concealing his true gender identity.

Aside from his family, he hadn’t even told Xiao Lu about being a Beta, even though they were the closest of online friends, despite never having met in person. Still, he had kept this detail to himself.

As if by doing so, Lu Zhi would never find out.

But,

“Aren’t you a Beta? Why are you in heat?” A certain cold inquiry from a few days ago replayed in Chi Jinxian’s mind at that very moment.

Even now, recalling it sent a shiver down his spine.

When exactly had Lu Zhi found out? Could it really be that he had just confessed his dislike for Betas in the morning, only to discover Chi Jinxian’s secret that very afternoon?

If that were truly the case, it would be nothing short of tragic.

Chi Jinxian scrunched up his face and let out a soft whimper, abruptly shaking out the blanket to bury himself underneath, pressing his face deep into the pillow as if that could help him escape the chasm that had opened between him and Lu Zhi.

Over and over in his mind, he muttered warnings to himself: Chi Jinxian, hold back, hold back! Don’t reply to the message. If you reply, you’ll only get a moment of happiness. The next second, Brother Lu might say he hates you. Then you won’t be able to mooch meals off him anymore, you won’t be able to follow him around, you’ll have nowhere to cry!

With this resolute mindset, the carefree Chi Jinxian actually managed to fall asleep!

But perhaps it was because he had talked too much with Chi Sui after returning from the hospital. Although he had no recollection of the things his father mentioned, his mind had subconsciously latched onto them, leading to dreams the moment he drifted off dreams born of his daytime worries.

“Little Dad, that older brother is so good-looking.” A little child dressed in bright colors and wearing a small yellow cap held an adult’s hand with one hand while pointing with the other toward a small figure standing quietly at the school gate. His tone was exaggerated. “He looks just like the Snow White prince from the story you told me his hair is so black, his eyes are so bright. So handsome!”

The adult followed the direction of his small hand, then gently pulled it down, bending over to speak softly to him: “An An, it’s impolite to point at others like that.” Then he chuckled and added, “When did I ever tell you a story about a Snow White prince? That was Snow White.”

“Oh, okay. Maybe I remembered wrong then.”

Deep in his subconscious, Chi Jinxian knew he was dreaming, but the scene unfolding felt unfamiliar.

He saw his younger self break free from Yuan Si Bai’s hand and run straight toward the boy he thought was the Snow White prince. As he ran, he glanced back at Yuan Si Bai with a bright, cheerful laugh and exclaimed, “Little Dad, I want to be friends with him ”

Yuan Si Bai, worried he might be too impulsive, hurried after him, calling out, “An An!”

Chi Jinxian wanted to follow his younger self to see the other child, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get a clear view. And when little Chi Jinxian finally reached the boy, the other child seemed extremely resistant, shuffling several steps to the side.

Chi Jinxian could almost picture him pursing his lips warily, staring cautiously at little Chi Jinxian.

“My dad’s garden has lots of beautiful fire roses planted in it,” the first attempt at making friends didn’t seem to be going smoothly, but Xiao Chi Jinxian wasn’t discouraged at all. Excitedly gesturing while describing the appearance of the roses in his father’s garden, his big eyes sparkling brightly, he said, “Brother, will you still be here tomorrow? I’ll pick the prettiest one and give it to you, okay?”

In his sleep, Chi Jinxian’s brows furrowed uncomfortably, his deepest subconscious thinking, how could you be so bold even as a child? The person in front of you isn’t Lu Zhi, why are you giving roses? Don’t give them!

But he wasn’t some dream control master, unable to steer the direction of his dream scenarios.

He saw that always blurry child figure extend a small hand on the second day, hesitating for a long time before finally accepting the rose Xiao Chi Jinxian offered him.

The third day, the fourth day… countless days after that, it was always the same.

Xiao Chi Jinxian gifted countless fiery red roses, and the other party accepted them all never hesitating again after that first time.

Day after day like this, decades passed. The child grew into a young adult, and Chi Jinxian, holding a rose, rushed excitedly to school, once again standing before that boy and offering out the rose.

“The most beautiful rose blooming in the garden today.” Chi Jinxian’s face beamed with a bright smile. “For you.”

Without any surprise, the gorgeous flower was accepted as usual, and the person reaching out for it finally became clear,

Lu Zhi.

Today was Thursday, with classes continuing tomorrow. Lu Zhi was in his room doing the homework assigned by the teacher today.

He’d write a few words, then glance at the phone beside him, repeating this pattern, yet no sound ever reached his ears.

No messages came in, no calls either.

Instead, faint noises from downstairs drifted up.

“Lu Zisheng, who did you have relations with?” Ai Duoyan’s voice carried accusation, tinged with sobs.

Separated by floors and a door, Lu Zisheng’s indifferent tone was even harder to make out clearly. “You smelled something on me?”

“That’s exactly why I’m asking because I can’t smell anything!” Ai Duoyan shouted loudly, as if going mad. “You take advantage of me being a Beta to act so recklessly, don’t you?!”

Lu Zisheng remained silent for a long time before speaking again, even more detached: “Duoyan, I initially kept you around longer than others precisely because you have no pheromones, Yan Yue wouldn’t detect any scent on me because of that.”

Ai Duoyan choked up.

“My child must return to the Lu family, which is why you’re still here.”

The implication being that as a Beta, he shouldn’t have had children, but he did albeit through improper means. General Lu’s reputation for integrity and selflessness was well-known; he wouldn’t allow too many stains to exist.

So he was warning Ai Duoyan, warning him that since he’d used Lu Wan to enter the Lu family, he shouldn’t aspire to anything more.

Then, Lu Zisheng added: “Yan Yue is my only husband.”

Hearing this, Ai Duoyan, who had intended to stay silent, suddenly let out a cold laugh.

In an extremely sarcastic tone, he said, “Since you’re so aware of that, General Lu, why do you still sleep with others?”

Lu Zisheng: “That doesn’t conflict with my love for him.”

“BANG !”

The door of a bedroom upstairs slammed with a deafening noise, instantly cutting off the conversation downstairs. Ai Duoyan’s sobbing cries were frightened into silence.

Lu Zhi hadn’t really caught the specifics of their conversation, but based on the many similar exchanges he’d overheard before, his father’s name must have come up.

And without even thinking, he knew Ai Duoyan was throwing another tantrum about something.

Lu Zhi stepped out and paused by the second-floor corridor railing, looking down at the two people in the living room. The ceiling lights were bright, yet not a single gleam reached his overly dark eyes.

“Why is Father back?” he asked in a cold, steady voice.

Lu Zisheng hadn’t even changed out of his uniform. Hearing the question, he looked up and replied, “Just came back to get something.”

“Mm,” Lu Zhi responded. “Not going to the base anymore?”

“I am. Leaving now.”

Lu Zhi gave another noncommittal “Mm,” offering no basic farewells like “bye” or “see you later.” He simply watched them expressionlessly, utterly unconcerned with what they had been discussing.

Lu Zisheng withdrew his gaze, crossed the living room, pulled the door open, and left. The door shut with a crisp click.

With the other party gone, Ai Duoyan calmed down considerably, quickly composing himself. Since there was no one else left in the house, he couldn’t be bothered to engage with Lu Zhi and made to retreat to his room.

The butler stood silently in the corner, invisible as ever.

He hadn’t even attempted to intervene not even symbolically, when the two in front of him had been arguing.

As Ai Duoyan ascended the stairs, he seemed to remember that Lu Zhi was still standing there unmoving and instinctively glanced up.

But that single glance made him freeze mid-step.

Lu Zhi lowered his gaze, methodically unwrapping the packaging of a slender object. After removing it, he calmly inserted its sharp end into his own vein, as though it weren’t his own flesh he was piercing. The transparent liquid in the thin, fragile glass tube gradually disappeared as he pressed down slowly with his thumb.

Merging with the blood beneath Lu Zhi’s skin. A mood stabilizer.

Ai Duoyan had seen it more than once and had even interacted with Lu Zhi in this state though it was always one-sided. Lu Zhi was in a bad state now, liable to become truly unhinged.

Ai Duoyan retracted the foot he had just placed on the step, returned to the living room, and sat silently on the sofa.

Lu Zhi expressionlessly withdrew the needle, not sparing Ai Duoyan a single glance, and turned toward the equipment room.

Meanwhile, in his own villa, Chi Jinxian lying on his bedroom bed suddenly opened his eyes.

Awake.

He blinked confusedly into the darkness, feeling somewhat stifled, the warm breath before his nostrils washing back over his face. It took him a while to realize he was still buried under the covers, so he lifted them to free his head.

A soft night light glowed in the room not too bright, not too dark. Fresh air filled his lungs, and Chi Jinxian felt much better.

Though his eyes reflected the night light’s glow, they still held a trace of bewilderment.

Chi Jinxian grabbed his phone and checked the time only an hour had passed since he fell asleep.

Yet it felt as though he had dreamed all night long somewhat tired, somewhat heartache, and feeling a little sorry for himself.

He had actually dreamed of Lu Zhi! And the dream had started from their childhood!

One hour in reality, eleven years in the dream they had even become “childhood friends.”

But the dream was utterly unrealistic. Never mind that they hadn’t known each other as kids even in high school, Lu Zhi had never accepted his roses.

I’m really going crazy because of this pheromone deficiency disorder. If it weren’t for suddenly getting sick, he wouldn’t be so worried.

But there’s nothing to be done about it.

The more Chi Jinxian thought about it, the more dejected he became. Frowning with worry, he lay on his back on the bed, hugging the blanket while staring at the ceiling without blinking, as if the answer to “reconciling” with Lu Zhi was written up there.

But after pursuing someone for two years, such a small setback wasn’t enough to truly defeat Chi Jinxian. After less than three minutes of dejection, he abruptly sat up and tried to find comfort in hardship, thinking: Sure, Lu Zhi had exposed him as a Beta, but he himself hadn’t admitted it!

Moreover, thanks to his careful disguise, everyone at school knew him as an Omega, not a Beta. When he returned to school on Monday, he just needed to deny it, right?

When Lu Zhi asked, he’d just say he guessed wrong.

Thinking this, Chi Jinxian once again praised his own cleverness. Instantly, his vision cleared, his heart calmed, and his mind settled. Cheerfully, he got out of bed, turned on the light, and went to write the love letters he’d need on Monday.

He’d been away from school for a week he had to make up for what he’d missed!

Three days flew by in a blink, and Monday arrived as scheduled. Chi Jinxian had never felt so nervous about going to school before.

He prepared six love letters confessing love needs rest too. Since he couldn’t see Lu Zhi on Saturday and Sunday, Chi Jinxian didn’t prepare any letters for those days, only confessing through text messages. But lately, he hadn’t even chatted with Lu Zhi for a whole week, let alone met face to face.

Chi Jinxian carefully selected six vibrant red roses that had bloomed most beautifully that day. He trimmed a small section of their main stems perfectly, wrapped their roots in moist soil, and meticulously packaged them in wrapping paper before placing all the bright flowers into his backpack on his first day back to school, his backpack contained not a single book, only love letters and roses.

As a result, on his way to school, Chi Jinxian’s mind was completely empty of knowledge and full of love.

His earlier idea of finding comfort in hardship seemed thorough and flawless, but Chi Jinxian was still afraid that he might see Lu Zhi as soon as he entered the classroom and wouldn’t dare to speak first. So today, he went to school very early.

So early that when he arrived at the classroom, there wasn’t a single person there yet.

Now that he was truly in the holy land of learning, the qualities of a good student finally hadn’t abandoned this classmate surnamed Chi they drifted back to him.

Having missed a week of classes, even if it was all review, he was afraid of falling behind. Before coming, Chi Jinxian had told Jiang Baixiao that he needed to borrow his notes for all subjects to catch up. Jiang Baixiao told him to take them from his desk drawer.

After quietly catching up on notes for a while, people started trickling into the classroom. Every person who entered would excitedly come over to greet Chi Jinxian with delight when they saw him.

“Cash, you’re back!”

“Yeah.”

“Missed you so much!”

“Haha, me too.”

“Quick, quick, open your arms and let me hug you.” Saying this, the boy really laughed and spread his arms to hug him.

Chi Jinxian pretended to raise his hand to hit him, laughing as he said, “Go ahead and hug, but don’t squeeze me too tight. I’m not in good health, you know.”

He was just joking. Since everyone would ask about it sooner or later, he might as well bring it up first and uniformly reply that he was fine.

Hearing this, just as everyone was about to ask how his health was, Chi Jinxian quickly said, “I’m already fine. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be back at school, right?”

As soon as Zhong Qing, Mada, and Jiang Baixiao pushed the door open, they saw Chi Jinxian tightly surrounded in his seat, with everyone offering comfort and chatting with him.

The group immediately walked over and joined the “chaos.”

It wasn’t until Jiang Baixiao stood in the aisle and protested, “Are you guys going to let me get back to my seat or not? Get away from my sister!” that the crowd was finally driven away.

Once everyone had left, Jiang Baixiao finally returned to his cozy little spot. After sitting down, he wrapped his arm around Chi Jinxian’s neck, determined to press their cheeks together.

“Sisters, let’s get close.”

Chi Jinxian laughed and said, “Come on, let’s get close.”

“Are you really okay now?”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s good, that’s good. Seriously, when we saw the class monitor carrying you as he rushed past the hallway, we were all shocked because you were clearly unconscious.” Jiang Baixiao grew more serious as he recounted his feelings from that Monday last week. “And then you didn’t come to class for a whole week. We were all really worried about you.”

Chi Jinxian laughed and gently bumped his shoulder against Jiang Baixiao’s. “It’s fine, don’t worry. I’m super resilient.” After saying this, the smile faded from his face, and his eyes darted around uncertainly as he hesitantly asked, “Brother Lu carried me downstairs?”

“Of course he did.” Immediately, Jiang Baixiao vividly described the scene from that day.

“But speaking of that, Cash, you’re really not being a good friend.” Jiang Baixiao tapped Chi Jinxian’s shoulder with his finger, adopting a lecturing tone.

Chi Jinxian looked confused. “What?”