After Attending School A, I Differentiated into an Omega - Chapter 22.2

An Su spoke in a consultative tone. Jiang Zhao had been too sensible since she was a child, so sensible it made one’s heart ache. If the other person wasn’t an Alpha, An Su would be happy her daughter liked someone; now, there was only worry.

“How do we treat it?” Jiang Zhao asked.

An Su’s expression brightened. “I’ve talked with Dr. Lin. we can use a desensitization treatment, taking it slow—”

“Desensitization?” Jiang Zhao looked up abruptly, her dark eyes on An Su. “Does it work on Alphas too?”

It took An Su a few seconds to realize what her daughter was thinking. Her mouth fell open: “Xiao… Xiao Zhao, even if the other person is an Alpha, you’re… you’re okay with that?”

Jiang Zhao seemed startled by her own shocking suggestion. She let out a laugh, shielding her eyes. “No, Mom. I’m joking.”

An Su’s expression was complicated. Finally, she took a step back. “If you don’t want to go to the hospital, that’s fine. But the rejection between you and an Alpha is quite strong; don’t hurt that child. As for the desensitization, we’ll find another way.”

Jiang Zhao paused. “I know.”

The wake-up call sounded. Qin Fengyue exited the consultation page.

Walking to the door, she suddenly stopped. As if possessed, she ran back to the desk and grabbed the bottle of high-efficiency suppressant from the drawer.

Because she woke up so early, she saw Jiang Zhao when she stepped out of the dorm. Jiang Zhao looked like she had just come back from outside; she was still damp with the morning mist.

With only a few people walking out, Jiang Zhao’s jacket was draped over her, unzipped and open. The morning mist made her features look cold and clear.

Qin Fengyue lifted a hand in greeting.

Jiang Zhao was quite surprised: “Going for a run?”

Morning exercises were barely monitored by teachers, and students weren’t allowed to stay in the dorms anyway. Any Alpha who woke up early would go to the playground to vent their naturally abundant energy. Whenever Jiang Zhao was at school, she would usually go for a few laps unless something else was happening.

Qin Fengyue: “Yeah. Woke up too early. Going to move around a bit.”

This was the first time since transferring that Qin Fengyue had participated in this collective morning run. Usually, when others went to the playground, she was eating at the cafeteria or napping in class.

As a rare guest on the playground—the last time she was active here was the basketball exhibition—several gazes followed her and Jiang Zhao as they ran side-by-side onto the track.

Jiang Zhao: “Don’t daze out. Watch your feet.”

Qin Fengyue turned her head, the wind whistling in her ears. “Are those people looking at you or at me?”

Jiang Zhao glanced at her sideways and said calmly: “Not you.”

Qin Fengyue stared at her for a moment, then stretched her limbs. “Jiang Zhao, let’s race.”

A breeze swept past, and a faint scent of wine flashed by. Jiang Zhao’s breath caught for a split second. “Race for what?”

“To see who finishes 3,000 meters first. There’s a fifteen-minute gap between the first and second bugle call. About three minutes have passed. Regardless of whether the 3,000 is finished, we stop at the second call. Whoever has more laps wins, or whoever finishes first wins.”

The moment Jiang Zhao nodded, Qin Fengyue sped off like the wind.

On the track, the Alphas who were yawning and jogging to wake up suddenly felt a gust of wind past them. They looked ahead to see a blue figure followed closely by a slender back with a low ponytail. The latter seemed unhurried yet remained only half a meter behind the former.

“Crap! Why are these two so full of energy so early in the morning?”

“So fast! Looks familiar… is that Qin Fengyue? I heard she just differentiated—”

“She’s following so close. Is it a race?”

“What do I do? I think I’m being charmed by a newly differentiated female Alpha!”

The playground gradually filled up. Some people held up phones to record videos or take photos.

Someone was puzzled: “Why are you taking photos of two Alphas?”

“You don’t get it. When I post these on the public forum, Omegas from other schools will add me as a friend!”

“You’re a sneaky one! Come on, make some room for me!”

“Dammit, is this even human speed?”

“Hiss—”

Qin Fengyue ran with her head down. As the morning mist dissipated, the frustration and gloom she’d felt all night were vented. Her mood felt unusually light. She looked at Jiang Zhao, running parallel to her. “Goddess Jiang, you’re not doing so hot.”

Jiang Zhao raised an eyebrow. “No stakes?”

Qin Fengyue paused. She’d been so focused on running she forgot that a race needs stakes. “What do you want?”

Jiang Zhao looked down: “Up to you.”

Qin Fengyue thought for a bit. “You gave me a bottle of perfume yesterday. If I lose, I’ll give you a return gift?”

Jiang Zhao was silent for two seconds. “I want you to promise me one condition.”

“The stakes are a bit high, aren’t they?” Qin Fengyue narrowed her eyes.

Jiang Zhao gave a short huff. “I thought a return gift after receiving one was only natural. I didn’t expect it to become a bet.”

As if mocking her for being petty, Jiang Zhao let out a short laugh. It was brief and deep-voiced, making Qin Fengyue’s ears feel numb.

Qin Fengyue: “…Fine. I promise. My request is the same.”

Jiang Zhao remained non-committal.

“I’m accelerating,” Qin Fengyue said. Within two breaths, she had pulled ahead.

People by the track shouted, “Goddess Jiang! Are you losing?! Speed up!”

Jiang Zhao, caught between laughter and tears, began to chase her.

With 3,000 meters and only two laps left, Qin Fengyue began her sprint, holding nothing back!

One lap left! Victory was in sight!

Qin Fengyue smiled, but the smile froze on her face in the next second. Jiang Zhao had caught up. The two were locked in a stalemate, one barely ahead of the other. Onlookers didn’t even dare to blink!

“Qin Fengyue is first! She’s going to win!”

“No! Jiang Zhao overtook her!”

“Qin Fengyue is first! Wait! It’s Jiang Zhao!”

The final lap was nerve-wracking. It was as if the playground had been cleared; everyone moved out of the way to ensure they weren’t bowled over by the sprinting pair.

“Jiang Zhao lost to Qin Fengyue in basketball last time, this time—”

“The sprint!”

The excessive load of the 3,000 meters drained Qin Fengyue’s lungs. Her chest felt like it was on fire. The scent of the sea breeze invaded her through her nose and every pore of her body.

Qin Fengyue grit her teeth. In the final ten-meter sprint, she could no longer keep up with Jiang Zhao.

In that moment of exhaustion, Jiang Zhao’s white figure flashed past her.

The momentum carried them both into the wire mesh fence at the edge of the playground. Qin Fengyue barely managed to hold onto the fence to keep from collapsing.

Beside her, Jiang Zhao’s breathing was slightly uneven, but she clearly had energy to spare.

“I admit defeat,” Qin Fengyue smiled.

Jiang Zhao steadied her breathing. A faint scent of wine—intoxicating like a light buzz—filled her nose. It seemed stronger than what she’d smelled last night. Before she could process it, Qin Fengyue looked down and said suddenly: “Jiang Zhao, stay away from me.”

Her cheeks were as white as snow, but her ears looked like they were on fire.

Jiang Zhao narrowed her eyes, stood up straight, and backed away.

Bai Xue came running from the track. “Moonlight—”

“Don’t go.” Jiang Zhao suddenly raised her hand, stopping Bai Xue in her tracks.

The sea breeze spread like a tide, locking those who had gathered to watch in place. Some, irritated by the pheromones, began to grumble and curse.

Bai Xue also rubbed her head irritably. The crowd lost interest in the drama.

“Is this because the exercise was too much and the pheromones are out of control?”

Jiang Zhao looked at Qin Fengyue, two meters away. Her throat bobbed. “Mm.”

Bai Xue and Jiang Zhao stayed outside the safe distance. Just as she was about to speak, an even more intense pheromone scent erupted from the other side of the playground.

Qin Fengyue clutched her suppressant, her legs shaking as she covered her nose.

“F—!”

“Someone’s in heat (susceptible period)!”

An Alpha in such a state cannot control their pheromones. Once out of control, half the people on the playground would start fighting. The commotion grew.

“Evacuate everyone first,” Jiang Zhao said to Bai Xue, then grabbed an Alpha who was trying to run. “Go guard the exit. People can leave, but no one enters.”

The wake-up bugle blew again. The first call was for waking up, the second was the formal signal for exercises. Once that sounded, the main student body would pour in like fish into water.

“The bell rings in two minutes. Hurry,” Jiang Zhao reminded the stunned student.

“Oh, oh! I’m going now!”

Bai Xue organized the evacuation, placing people at the entrances and exits. The crowd began to retreat in an orderly fashion.

Jiang Zhao stood there, her gaze on Qin Fengyue. “Can you walk on your own?”

Qin Fengyue was afraid she’d notice something was wrong. “I can.”

Jiang Zhao frowned but said nothing. She called the Academic Office and then quietly waited for Qin Fengyue to stand.

Qin Fengyue “tsked.” “You really are—”

She forced herself to stand, nearly biting her tongue as she moved her legs. “Let’s go.”

“Don’t force it if you can’t walk.”

Qin Fengyue pursed her lips: “Do you… smell anything?”

Jiang Zhao’s gaze paused. “You mean the Alpha in rut? The chili scent is pretty pungent. Why?”

Qin Fengyue’s lips quirked. “I really believe it now. You truly have no reaction to Alpha pheromones.”

Jiang Zhao gave an “mm,” but her eyes landed on Qin Fengyue’s neck. She said softly: “You—”

She was confused and wanted an answer. At that moment, the campus broadcast suddenly crackled to life.

Chen Fang’s voice sounded:

“——An Alpha student has entered a susceptible period on the playground. Students on the playground, please evacuate the affected area as quickly as possible. Affected Alphas should voluntarily return to the dorms for isolation and cooling down. Those unaffected, head to your classrooms——”

“Repeating: An Alpha has entered a susceptible period on the playground——”

“I… I’m going back to the dorm.” Qin Fengyue clutched her half-empty suppressant and left hurriedly.

“Wait,” Jiang Zhao called out. She pointed toward the path behind the playground leading to the staff dorms. “Go that way. Circling through the woods will help you avoid the crowd.”

Qin Fengyue lowered her head, hand covering her gland. “Thanks.”

Back in the dorm, likely due to the suppressant, Qin Fengyue’s symptoms had eased significantly. Her mind was a mess. She sat blankly at her desk. It was an hour later by the time the redness in her ears faded.

The sound of voices gradually returned downstairs. Gossiping could be heard from the corridors.

“Big Mouth! Who was the Alpha in rut?” someone shouted over the railing.

“Get back in your dorm!” The Dean, Fang Zhi, cursed at the Alphas watching the drama from above. “Go back now, I’m coming to your rooms immediately!”

Qin Fengyue finally snapped out of it and checked the group messages. In the “Strongest Alpha Alliance” group, everyone was already talking about the incident.

She scrolled through the history.

Fact-Finder Jiang Da: I found out. Two freshman Alphas were dating. One of them hadn’t differentiated yet, so the impact wasn’t big at first. But one of them differentiated in the dorm while sleeping last night! Neither of them knew.

Fact-Finder Jiang Da: This morning, everyone was watching Qin Fengyue and Goddess Jiang race. The two little Alphas hid in a corner to get intimate. Holy crap, the pheromones exploded instantly, triggering a susceptible period right on the spot!

Qin Fengyue: “…”

Someone asked: The rejection is that strong?

Fact-Finder Jiang Da: Entering a knowledge blind spot @Monitor Xu, you tell us.

Monitor Xu: …

Sports Rep: Isn’t that obvious? Don’t you get excited when you swap spit with your dear wifey? Once you’re excited, pheromones leak out.

Sports Rep: They were kissing and felt the other person’s pheromones were wrong. They look up—holy crap, it’s an Alpha! Instinct is stronger than anything. Love aside, the rejection system isn’t dead!

After reading the chat, Qin Fengyue made an appointment for a face-to-face consultation online. She hesitated between the Omega specialty and the Alpha specialty.

Whether she wanted to admit it or not, her reaction to Alpha pheromones seemed abnormal.

At the same time, a message from Jiang Zhao popped up on WeChat.

Jiang Zhao: 【Does the race just now count?】

The Charming Beauty of Wind and Moon: 【It counts. Have you thought of your requirement?】

Jiang Zhao: 【Mm. I want to ask you a favor.】

Jiang Zhao: 【My Omega Rejection Syndrome is affecting my normal interactions with Omegas.】

Qin Fengyue tightened her grip, uncertain if Jiang Zhao was testing her.

Jiang Zhao: 【My mom wants me to accept treatment for the syndrome. I promised her I’d try to have contact with an Omega.】

The Charming Beauty of Wind and Moon: 【？？？】