What to Do If Beta Cannot Be Marked? - Chapter 39.2

“Lu Zhi!” Ren Yiran’s voice trembled. This was the first time he had heard Lu Zhi use such vulgar language truly appalling. Though there were no aphrodisiacs in his system, his eyes instantly reddened, tears welling visibly. Standing frozen in place, he pointed at Lu Zhi, “…How could you say that about me? I was only. I was just.”

“Ren Yiran is sixteen years old. He attempted to force himself on me knowingly breaking the law. Call the police.” Lu Zhi’s speech not only didn’t slow down but accelerated further.

He seemed aware that he could still control the churning, boiling blood within him, so he used this lucid moment to say everything he needed to.

On the other end of the line, Jiang Jin was completely stunned, as if unable to process Lu Zhi’s words or shocked that Lu Zhi would say so much and use such unspeakable language.

But he moved quickly, instinct driving him to act immediately.

He had no intention of humiliating Ren Yiran, but if things escalated, it would absolutely bring no benefit to Ren Yiran, especially since General Lu and Lieutenant General Ren were both prominent figures.

Weighing the stakes, private resolution was the best approach.

Finally, Lu Zhi said: “Get a doctor. I’m in unbearable pain.”

This was the first time since childhood Lu Zhi had so openly admitted to being in pain, illustrating how dangerous it was to face a Heat Period without Suppressants while being provoked into extreme arousal.

Jiang Jin snapped back to reality: “Hold on. Immediately.”

The call ended with a beep. Within half an hour, the villa’s door would be pushed open by members of both the Lu and Ren families.

Ren Yiran’s lips trembled.

After all, he was still a teenager considering only immediate gains without seeing the full picture. He should have disposed of all Lu Zhi’s communication devices when he swapped the Suppressants.

But what was done was done. Ren Yiran’s face gradually paled.

Yet he couldn’t bring himself to accept it. Since the insults had already been hurled at him, he might as well “justifiably” bear those foul words.

Ren Yiran bit his lip hard and began removing his clothes, walking toward Lu Zhi with an almost resigned determination.

The next moment, a violent crash echoed beside them, a chair from the dining table was hurled in Ren Yiran’s direction, shattering into pieces near him.

Lu Zhi’s breathing was unsteady, his shoulders trembling slightly. His lower lip was already bitten raw and bloody, and likely even the tip of his tongue hadn’t escaped injury.

He took a sharp breath, gritting his teeth as he coldly warned, “I advise you not to come any closer—not even a single step. If I decide to fight you now, I could kill you.”

The meaning was clear: the chair hadn’t struck Ren Yiran directly because Lu Zhi still retained enough rationality to remember their over-a-decade-long bond.

Though Lu Zhi’s flushed face lacked intimidation, his eyes had darkened profoundly. A concentrated glint deep within his pupils made his gaze terrifyingly intense, as if he were capable of anything at that moment.

Ren Yiran froze, not daring to move another inch, for he had no doubt about Lu Zhi’s words.

“Ah, stop, stop! Brother, don’t say anymore,” Chi Jinxian interjected as the clock neared ten in the evening. “I’m furious. If I hear any more, I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

In truth, Lu Zhi hadn’t elaborated much he had only briefly highlighted key points to summarize the incident.

But Chi Jinxian’s imagination was overly active; a single sentence from Lu Zhi could fuel a twenty-minute dramatic scenario in his mind.

Still, learning that Ren Yiran hadn’t even laid a finger on Lu Zhi stirred an indescribable, secret delight within Chi Jinxian.

“Don’t interact with him in the future,” Lu Zhi instructed. “Understood?”

Though aware that Lu Zhi couldn’t see him, Chi Jinxian nodded obediently. “Understood!”

“But, brother,” he asked softly, “what exactly did he see in your notebook?”

At this, Lu Zhi’s breath hitched, and he fell into clear silence.

Earlier, he had been strategic in his account, only mentioning the irreparable rift between him and Ren Yiran, citing the notebook as the reason.

But he had omitted any details about the content or what Ren Yiran had said.

He hadn’t expected Chi Jinxian to probe further.

Hearing no response, Chi Jinxian’s voice grew even softer. “Is this… something I shouldn’t ask?”

“Yeah,” Lu Zhi replied abruptly, almost overlapping Chi Jinxian’s words. “You shouldn’t.”

It must be something significant, given how Lu Zhi hadn’t spoken to Ren Yiran for years as everyone said. And judging by Lu Zhi’s attitude toward Ren Yiran the previous week, that seemed accurate.

Chi Jinxian immediately withdrew his inquisitiveness, swiftly reining in his curiosity. Cheerfully, he said, “Okay! As long as you’re fine now and will be in the future, that’s all that matters. Nothing else is important.”

Tonight’s dusk was destined to create a sleepless night. Autumn insects chirped intermittently in the grass outside the villa. Lu Zhi lifted his gaze to the window in his room the moon’s hue was actually quite dark, yet his heart seemed filled by that very orb in the sky.

He let out a soft “Hmm” and said nothing more.

Perhaps due to some unspoken connection, Chi Jinxian mirrored Lu Zhi’s movements almost simultaneously. Not only that, he slipped out of bed, shuffled in his slippers to the window, and pressed his hands against the screen as he gazed somewhat foolishly downward, as if trying to identify what little creature was producing those soothing, low chirps that brought such tranquility.

A faint evening breeze seeped through the screen, its gentle touch rousing Chi Jinxian to a clearer state of mind at ten o’clock at night.

Sleep no longer seemed appealing.

“Brother,” Chi Jinxian called out, waiting for the other to respond.

The other side indeed replied: “Mm.”

“Ren Yiran said you would never date a Beta, did you really say that to him?” Chi Jinxian asked.

Lost in thought over something, Lu Zhi didn’t respond immediately, but the silence didn’t last long.

He said, “Mm.”

So it was true, Chi Jinxian tightened his grip on the phone. The evening breeze seeping through the screen window, which had been gently brushing against him, now felt like a disturbance unsettling his mind. His heart raced nervously, and he blinked several times unconsciously.

Stammering, he asked, “You weren’t weren’t serious, it’s not true, right?”

Lu Zhi remained silent, leaving only the sound of his breathing.

Chi Jinxian called out, “Brother Lu.”

Lu Zhi cut him off: “Don’t call me that.”

“Then tell me, that statement of yours isn’t true, is it? I’m scared.”

Lu Zhi only said, “It’s past ten. Go to sleep.”

“I don’t want to,” Chi Jinxian suddenly grew stubborn, yet his voice dropped infinitely low. He walked to the bed and sat down, hanging his head as his hands unconsciously played with the hem of his pajamas, twisting the fabric several times. His voice, like the twisted hem, became dry and full of grievance. “I won’t sleep. I definitely won’t be able to fall asleep anyway.”

At the same time, he thought to himself: He had pursued Brother Lu for so long, and it seemed like Lu Zhi was clearly starting to like him. How could it all end here because of a gender, or even lead to no result at all?

He couldn’t accept that. Besides, Lu Zhi had never said those words to him. He had known from the start that Chi Jinxian was a Beta; if that statement were truly the standard, Lu Zhi would have told him long ago.

He wasn’t the kind of person who would knowingly watch someone make a fool of themselves.

There must be another reason.

“Brother, you.”

“Words are rigid,” Lu Zhi interrupted him, saying, “but people are flexible.”

After saying that, he quickly added, “Go to sleep now,” and heartlessly hung up the phone on his own.

But Chi Jinxian held the phone, dazed for a while. A moment later, he slowly lay down on the bed, almost laughing aloud, his mood incredibly bright.

He had a clearer feeling now: Lu Zhi treated him differently from others.

As his joy continued, Chi Jinxian, who had just claimed he wouldn’t sleep tonight, found his breathing becoming steady and deep within ten minutes.

Truly carefree and untroubled!

Many things had happened over the past week, and about sixty percent of them were related to Ren Yiran. The remaining forty percent involved Ren Yiran and Lu Zhi being tied together in relevance.

Chi Jinxian fell asleep quickly but slept restlessly. It was as if he was watching everything that happened after Lu Zhi’s high school entrance exams unfold before him, scene by scene, all vividly clear.

Unwilling to see anyone other than Lu Zhi in his dream, he unconsciously furrowed his brows slightly, trying to alter his subconscious. Just like that, he somehow managed to recall his own childhood.

Little Chi Jinxian stood at the elementary school gate, holding a fiery red rose in one hand and holding Yuan Si Bai’s large hand with the other, his gaze fixed on a spot not far across the way.

Before long, he saw a young boy dressed in dark clothes walking out of the school alone.

Little Chi Jinxian’s eyes brightened slightly. He immediately let go of Yuan Si Bai’s hand and rushed over excitedly, calling out, “Brother, Brother ”

Through the bright eyes of his childhood, the grown-up Chi Jinxian still couldn’t clearly see the face of the little boy standing opposite him. Realizing this, Chi Jinxian’s brows furrowed even tighter.

By the time the person approached, little Chi Jinxian’s smile had grown immensely wide, his small white teeth nearly gleaming.

He handed over the rose and said, “This is the most beautiful one blooming in my dad’s Rose Manor today. I’m giving it to you!”

The little boy reached out to take it, paused for a moment, and then said, “Are you made of roses? Why do you always give me these?”

“Because the roses my dad grows are different from those in flower shops. They’re the most beautiful, and you’re even more beautiful. I want to give all the beautiful things to you.” Little Chi Jinxian’s dark grape-like eyes shone intensely as he spoke cheerfully. “Besides, both my dad and my other dad said that roses should only be given to someone you like. I really like you, brother, so I have to give you these.”

The little boy murmured softly, “You like me?”

“Yeah,” little Chi Jinxian nodded eagerly like a pecking chick. “Brother, since you’ve accepted my fire rose, you have to like me in the future too.”

“What if I don’t like you?”

“That’s okay. Liking someone doesn’t have to be mutual. It’s not right to demand that you like me just because I like you, that’s what my other dad told me. He said people shouldn’t be willful, and I’m very well-behaved.” Little Chi Jinxian showed no trace of disappointment, his tone still excited. “I just want to follow you and stay with you forever. I hope you’ll be happy!”

The fiery red rose seemed to lose its original charm. The little boy’s gaze shifted from the flower, lifting to quietly observe the person before him. His pupils were dark and bright.

The next moment, he spoke. He asked, “Do you mean what you say?”

But now, the speaker’s face was no longer a blurred, indistinguishable mass.

It was Lu Zhi!

The daylight from outside the window streamed through the glass, gradually brightening the room.

In bed, Chi Jinxian’s eyes remained tightly shut, his body jolting suddenly. But he didn’t wake; only his eyeballs beneath his eyelids darted rapidly.

As if startled.

Chi Jinxian said, “Of course I mean it!”

Lu Zhi from their high school days gazed calmly at his contemporary, his eyes clear and bright, responding, “Okay.”

After replying, he carefully stored his flower, a touch of tenderness in his pupils. Chi Jinxian watched him almost greedily. Then Lu Zhi’s body suddenly began to shrink, his face changing along with it. Time truly reversed ten years before their eyes, and the face that had been impossible to discern now became clear and distinct.

It was Lu Zhi as a child.

His face still carried the softness unique to children, not yet sharp and defined like an adult’s. But perhaps due to his living environment, a trace of undeniable aggression lingered on his young features.

Moreover, he hadn’t yet learned to restrain himself. When he stared intently at something, his overly dark and bright eyes would reveal a look of “this is mine” both spirited and audacious.

“Brother, why are you looking at me like that?” Little Chi Jinxian blinked, unable to resist reaching out to touch his brother’s long eyelashes.

Little Lu Zhi neither avoided nor resisted, allowing the hand to approach and touch him. He said, “I’m looking at you like this because I like you.”

“Really?” Xiao Chi Jinxian’s eyes lit up as he cheered, “You like me, brother?!”

“Mhm.”

The faint scent of fiery red roses caught the tail of a gentle breeze, drilling deep into one’s nostrils.

“Xiao Zhi.” Yan Yue’s calm voice sounded from nearby. Lu Zhi’s father had come to pick him up.

Little Lu Zhi looked over at Yan Yue, called out “Dad,” then lowered his gaze to look at the rose in his hand. After a moment, he raised his eyes and couldn’t resist asking: “Did you transform from a field of fiery red roses? Otherwise, why is your personality so similar to their color, like a little rose.”

This was clearly praising him. Xiao Chi Jinxian curved his large eyes into a grin and said, “Maybe I am.”

Yan Yue waited gently nearby, letting them finish their conversation before taking the child’s hand.

Before leaving, he also greeted Yuan Si Bai. Little Lu Zhi turned back to look at Xiao Chi Jinxian walking in the opposite direction and called out: “Little rose, see you tomorrow!”

Xiao Chi Jinxian waved back: “Wait for me to pick an even more beautiful rose for you tomorrow!”

Ten years later, Chi Jinxian opened his eyes, his heart pounding wildly. The light in his eyes was exceptionally clear, without any trace of confusion.

He wondered why he had such a vivid dream.

So vivid it felt like it had truly happened before.

And he had even seen Lu Zhi’s father Yan Yue.

Yuan Si Bai had mentioned that they were old acquaintances from ten years ago and had a very good relationship. If that were true, had he and Lu Zhi really never met as children?

Chi Sui and Yuan Si Bai hadn’t told him or rather, they hadn’t fully explained. After he was diagnosed with an illness, they said there were uncertainties due to certain events no one had known beforehand that Chi Jinxian would develop pheromone deficiency disorder. They didn’t want Chi Jinxian to constantly remember his physical condition, so they avoided mentioning past events to prevent him from dwelling on them.

Additionally, after being rescued from kidnapping as a child, Chi Jinxian’s mind had subconsciously blocked out those traumatic memories of abuse and injections for self-preservation. But being naturally carefree, Chi Jinxian had never tried to recall those memories. He only began questioning his missing childhood memories after his illness manifested.

However, since falling ill, perhaps because Chi Sui had told him many things about that time, Chi Jinxian had dreamed of his childhood more than once.

And every time, Lu Zhi was in those dreams.

But judging by Lu Zhi’s current behavior he clearly didn’t recognize him.

For the moment, Chi Jinxian couldn’t distinguish what was real from what was false.

He could only sigh as he got out of bed and rubbed his face.

He wanted to ask Yuan Si Bai, but remembering his hospital experiences, he knew Yuan Si Bai might become frightened and anxious just recalling why he had forgotten certain things. It was better not to bring it up.

Chi Jinxian thought, forget it, he would figure it out gradually, if they had really known each other, he would eventually remember.

Today was Saturday, but not all students could go home to rest, they still had self-study sessions.

Lu Zhi went quite early there was still that annoying Heat Period at home actually, it had ended the day before yesterday, but Lu Wan had taken leave until next Monday before returning. With Lu Zisheng not home either, Lu Zhi couldn’t be bothered to stay longer.

Perhaps years of living with these people had made Lu Zhi increasingly silent.

And something felt off.

“Something on your mind?” Fang Shou had already returned to the Lu residence and was driving Lu Zhi to school as usual this morning. “You’ve been like this since yesterday not talking is one thing, but you keep staring blankly at nothing.”

Lu Zhi blinked infrequently, his gaze almost unwaveringly fixed on the shifting scenery outside the car window.

Hearing this, he only replied, “No.”

Yet simultaneously, his mind recalled Chi Jinxian’s question from last night’s phone call: “Bro, what did he see in your notebook?”

There was nothing. But in truth, even before Ren Yiran swapped his Suppressant, Lu Zhi had already cut ties with him.

Because he had lied to him.

Regarding the rumors that he and Ren Yiran had been in a relationship part of it was true. Jiang Jin didn’t know the reason, so it was obvious who would spread such things.

He had indeed almost agreed to be with someone no early dating, but they would promise to be together once they reached adulthood.

It was one month before the high school entrance exam, and only a month had passed since Lu Zhi had nearly beaten Ai Duoyan to death.

On a perfectly ordinary morning, Lu Zhi arrived at the classroom, walked to his seat, and while placing his backpack inside the desk compartment, noticed something inside.

It was a very ordinary letter. Lu Zhi had seen plenty of such love confession letters and should have ignored it as usual.

But he didn’t.

He just stared fixedly at the envelope’s surface, as if trying to bore a real hole through it with his gaze.

The letter’s sender seemed to have anticipated that unless they did something eye-catching, Lu Zhi would never open the love letter.

So, to ensure the letter would be opened, they had carefully written a name on the envelope’s surface.

Little Rose.