After Transmigrating as a Beta, I Got Messed Up with an Alpha (BL) - Chapter 22

Pei Yule didn’t understand why Qiao Shengmo was looking for him. They had been in the same class for nearly a month, but they had never spoken a single word to each other.

Qiao Shengmo was exceptionally beautiful—with delicate, soft features and slender limbs, he was clearly at the top of the tier even among Omegas. In fact, since coming here, Pei Yule hadn’t seen a more beautiful Omega. Qiao Shengmo was even more refined than some of the celebrities he had seen on TV, and currently, he was completely bare-faced.

This blessed appearance, combined with his gentle smile and seemingly soft personality, gave Qiao Shengmo immense popularity. It wasn’t just within their class; he was famous throughout the school. Pei Yule often saw people from other classes coming to catch a glimpse of him. Wherever he went, he was surrounded like a star among its moons; the crowding was sometimes even more intense than what Huo Juan experienced.

After all, Huo Juan had a cold face and was occasionally impatient, so no one dared to approach him. But Qiao Shengmo was always surrounded by people.

Pei Yule had heard others call him the “School Beauty Qiao.” Qiao Shengmo didn’t seem to mind the title at all; in fact, he seemed to accept it with delight. As a “steel-straight” man, Pei Yule initially didn’t understand why a boy would be called a “School Beauty” or why he wouldn’t find it offensive.

There are girls in the school too, right?

Though, to be fair, Qiao Shengmo really was prettier than the girls.

Later, Pei Yule realized that in an ABO world, the distinction between male and female was less significant than the classification of Alpha, Beta, and Omega. So while Qiao Shengmo was male, he was a male Omega. For a male Omega, a title like “School Beauty” wasn’t insulting—it was a compliment. Just like calling a woman “beautiful,” it carried zero negative connotations. He had to pivot his traditional mindset.

Speaking of which, he still didn’t know why Qiao Shengmo was looking for him. The Omega had said he had something to tell him. Pei Yule had been confused at first, but when he saw everyone staring—especially Qiao Shengmo’s “fan club” glaring at them—he felt he had no choice but to agree to Qiao Shengmo’s suggestion to move elsewhere.

Away from the crowd, the stares disappeared, but Pei Yule didn’t feel any more relaxed. He and Huo Juan currently had almost no interaction at school and rarely drew attention like this. He didn’t want to become the center of focus again just by being associated with the school’s “beauty.”

Honestly, if Qiao Shengmo hadn’t asked him so politely in front of everyone, making it hard to refuse, he would have declined. While not wanting to think poorly of him, Pei Yule felt Qiao Shengmo had probably done it on purpose so he couldn’t say no.

He groaned inwardly. As they reached a secluded corner, he couldn’t help but ask, “So, what did you want to see me about?”

He had only been there for two seconds and already wanted to leave. Aside from wanting to avoid social complications, this corner was out of the sun and the wind was howling; he felt even colder here. He hoped to resolve this quickly; he didn’t want to catch another chill.

Qiao Shengmo saw Pei Yule huddled into his oversized coat. He’s a Beta, yet he’s acting more fragile than an Omega, he thought. He doesn’t look like a man at all.

Maintaining a sweet smile while secretly scoffing, Qiao Shengmo didn’t show his disdain. He said in a soft voice, “It’s like this: I’m a class representative. You filled out an application for the Winter Gala before. I’m confirming the numbers now because we need to prepare the costumes.”

As he spoke, he acted as if he were overheated, slightly opening the collar of his jacket with an imperceptible flick of his hand.

Wait, did I? When?

Pei Yule searched his mind. He’d never spoken to Qiao Shengmo, so how could he have applied for a gala? He probably hadn’t…

Wait! Yes! I did!

A spark of memory hit him. He hadn’t done it, but the “original owner” had applied before he transmigrated. The original owner wanted to dance with Fei Yisa, which was why he had prepared that bouquet of roses to confess.

…He had completely forgotten about this.

But did it have to be discussed now? And with such a “refusal is not an option” attitude? Pei Yule didn’t understand. It was the middle of a sports meet.

He didn’t want to assume the worst of the beautiful Omega, so he guessed Qiao Shengmo was just being diligent. Pei Yule nodded. “Ah, there was such a thing. But I’ve thought it over, and I’m not planning to participate anymore.”

He wasn’t the original owner who liked Fei Yisa, and he had zero interest in student galas. He’d rather stay home and sleep. Since the topic had come up, it was a good time to cancel.

“Huh?”

Qiao Shengmo, who was secretly fanning his neck with his hand, froze. “You’re not participating?”

When Pei Yule had originally come to find him, he had practically begged for an invite. The Winter Gala was primarily for Alphas and Omegas; if a Beta wanted to join, they needed an invitation from an Alpha or Omega. Back then, Qiao Shengmo didn’t hate the Beta yet and didn’t want to show his true colors, so he had given him an invite.

And now—he was saying he wasn’t going?!

Did he think that because he had “hooked up” with Huo Juan, he could get as many invites as he wanted and was suddenly too good for a student-run gala? Qiao Shengmo, who was already harboring a fire of jealousy over the attention Pei Yule was getting, felt a new wave of anger. He had snubbed a Beta friend just to give that invite to Pei Yule, and now he was being told “never mind”!

Is he playing with me?

Pei Yule didn’t notice the anger. He suppressed the urge to sneeze as the cold worsened. “Yeah, sorry to trouble you. Could you cancel it for me? If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going ba—”

He stopped mid-sentence. He caught a whiff of something incredibly sweet.

Pei Yule could already smell Qiao Shengmo’s pheromones—the scent of sunflowers. But this sweet scent was even more intense, like crushed petals; it was vivid, rich, and syrupy thick.

This feeling was…

Qiao Shengmo saw Pei Yule’s expression change and his eyes flickered. He thought the Beta’s “reaction time” was just slow. Good, he thought. I’ll make this Beta lose his mind with desire, and then I’ll make sure people ‘accidentally’ see him in a disgraceful state. Once his reputation is ruined, Huo Juan will—

While he was plotting, Pei Yule suddenly grabbed his arm with a grip so strong it actually hurt. Since his differentiation, everyone had treated Qiao Shengmo like fragile glass; he had never been handled so roughly. Even if he’s being influenced by ‘Heat’ pheromones, this is too barbaric!

“What are you doing—” Qiao Shengmo winced.

Pei Yule’s expression was dead serious. He pulled Qiao Shengmo closer and leaned in to sniff his neck. His suspicion was confirmed: this Omega was in Heat.

It wasn’t that he was being overly dramatic; he hadn’t been idle at home over the past week. He had watched a ton of ABO-related videos and films. He knew exactly what kind of serious problems a “Heat” could cause. He couldn’t leave Qiao Shengmo alone like this; it could lead to a major incident. The Omega was a minor; if he induced others to lose control, it would be a disaster for everyone involved!

Pei Yule gripped Qiao Shengmo’s hand firmly. “Come with me.”

Though Qiao Shengmo had intended to “seduce” him, he didn’t actually want to suffer any real loss. He didn’t want to leave this spot; people would be coming soon—

He struggled. “What do you want? I won’t go…”

“Don’t you know you’re in Heat!”

This little Omega looked thin, but his strength was surprising; Pei Yule nearly lost his grip. He grabbed him again and recalled the emergency protocols he’d seen. “Where are your suppressants?”

Qiao Shengmo’s arm hurt, and he was both angry and a bit guilty. He tried to twist away. “I’m not in Heat! Let me go!”

Great, he’s even more clueless about the danger than I am, Pei Yule thought. His anger flared as the scent grew thicker. He gritted his teeth. “If you don’t want something terrible to happen to you, stay still. I’m taking you to the infirmary.”

The more he moved, the stronger the scent became. Luckily, the integrated building wasn’t far from the infirmary. He practically dragged the boy and started running.

“…”

What?

Qiao Shengmo froze, staring at Pei Yule in disbelief. The Beta didn’t even look back as he marched toward the infirmary. Qiao Shengmo, caught off guard and unable to match the brute strength, could only stumble along.

In his plan, Pei Yule should have been panting with a flushed face like a hooligan. Instead, nothing. This Beta hadn’t even looked back; he even sneezed while running!

How is this possible? Even as a Beta, he shouldn’t be totally immune to top-tier Omega pheromones. Even if it wasn’t a full Heat yet, it should have an effect! Or was this guy pretending to take him to the infirmary to lower his guard before doing something—

“Teacher!”

Qiao Shengmo’s thoughts were cut short as Pei Yule kicked open the infirmary door. He dragged him inside and pushed him toward the school nurse. “Teacher, he—”

The sudden entrance startled the nurse. However, anyone working in an ABO-integrated school was trained for this. She understood immediately and frowned. “He’s in Heat. Where are his suppressants?”

Qiao Shengmo knew his cycle wasn’t due for two days; right now there was only a faint scent, which was why he thought he could use it to distract Pei Yule. “Ah, I…”

He wanted to say he wasn’t in Heat, but his body suddenly shuddered. His legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed, only for Pei Yule to catch him. A fragrance so thick it was hard to breathe exploded from his body, filling the room with sunflowers. Qiao Shengmo had underestimated the instability of adolescent cycles. His Heat had arrived two days early.

A wave of heat and restlessness hit him. His face flushed, and a craving for comfort washed over him, making him grip Pei Yule’s hand tight. But remembering he hated this person, he wanted to let go—yet his weak limbs forced him to lean on Pei Yule to avoid falling.

Uncontrollable moans escaped his throat. Qiao Shengmo was both humiliated and furious. He tried to push Pei Yule away but lacked the strength. What frustrated him even more was that his pheromones were truly having zero effect on this person!

It felt as if his pride as a top-tier Omega was being trampled upon.

Pei Yule wasn’t thinking about any of that. He sneezed again. Under the nurse’s expert direction, he supported Qiao Shengmo’s limp body until the nurse returned with an injection.

The suppressant was administered, and soon, the sunflower scent began to recede. Qiao Shengmo leaned against Pei Yule, exhausted, appearing to have passed out. His breathing had steadied, though his cheeks were still pink.

“Put him on the bed,” the nurse said, sighing with relief.

Qiao Shengmo was an Omega with top-tier pheromones; his Heat was more powerful than most. Even the nurse, a Beta, felt a slight surge of blood. If they hadn’t acted quickly, it would have been a disaster. Thinking of this, she looked at the perfectly calm Pei Yule.

“You’re a Beta?”

After all, an Alpha couldn’t possibly be this calm around an Omega in Heat. But even for a Beta, this level of composure was impressive.

“Yeah… Achoo!”

Pei Yule’s answer turned into a massive sneeze. He rubbed his nose. Crap, my nose is running. I really caught a chill.

I’m not going to get another fever, am I? That would be so depressing.

“…” It was the nurse’s first time seeing someone sneeze because of Omega pheromones.

Seeing his red nose and his thick layers of clothing, she realized he was just cold. She opened a drawer and pulled out some medicine. “Take this. You’ve caught a chill.” Taking it early might stop it in its tracks.

Pei Yule took it quickly. “Thank you, Teacher.”

The nurse gave him some warm water for the medicine. After he swallowed it, she said, “You can go back now. The sports meet is still on; don’t try to slack off or the principal will be angry.”

Pei Yule wasn’t trying to slack off, but… he looked at the sleeping Qiao Shengmo. “What about him?”

“He’ll be fine. I’ll notify his family to pick him up,” the teacher said.

The teacher was clearly more qualified than him. Since he’d been dismissed, Pei Yule didn’t linger. He left the infirmary. As he walked down the hallway, he heard a roar of cheers from the window—someone had probably taken first place.

Curious, he looked out to see which event it was. He was completely unaware that behind him, at the end of the hall, two tall figures had appeared.

Watching him, Xu Yanxi let out a silent whistle and gave Huo Juan a thumbs-up. “Completely unmoved by an Omega in Heat. Your little Beta really has something special.”

While Betas don’t have cycles, it wasn’t uncommon for them to be influenced by an Omega’s scent and do something impulsive. But Pei Yule was unaffected. It was amazing, considering it was a top-tier Omega.

Huo Juan didn’t speak. He watched Pei Yule’s back, paused, then started walking toward him.

Xu Yanxi thought about calling out but decided against it. Watching Huo Juan walk toward Pei Yule, he remembered something. It was no wonder Pei Yule wasn’t affected by Qiao Shengmo; even if he didn’t remember the details, the influence of Huo Juan’s top-tier Alpha pheromones still lingered on him.

The weak submit to the strong. An Omega’s scent represents seduction, while an Alpha’s represents possession. When the two clash, possession wins. Pei Yule had already experienced an almost forceful “possession” by Huo Juan; his brain remembered that fear. Ignoring a seductive scent wasn’t so strange after all.

Xu Yanxi smiled and turned away to find his own fun.

On the other side, Huo Juan reached Pei Yule. Pei Yule was surprised and looked around instinctively. Seeing no one else, he asked, “Why are you here?”

“Business,” Huo Juan replied.

“Oh.” Pei Yule didn’t think much of it, assuming it was a chance encounter. After a few seconds of silence, he said, “I’m heading back to the field. My event might be starting so—Achoo!”

The sneeze cut him off. He rubbed his nose with the back of his hand and sneezed again. He felt like crying. Even after taking medicine, it’s still not working?

Huo Juan produced a handkerchief from somewhere. He caught Pei Yule’s hand, spread his fingers, and began to wipe them carefully. These hands just touched someone else.

Pei Yule looked down at him. Huo Juan’s expression was focused, his long lashes hiding the darkness in his eyes. Pei Yule tried to pull his hand away but failed. He stared at Huo Juan, wondering if the guy was disgusted because he used his fingers to rub his nose.

Does this guy have a germophobia? A severe one? He’d insisted on drying his hands at his house, too. Honestly, he could just tell me; he doesn’t have to do it himself. My hands weren’t even dirty…

While he was muttering internally, Huo Juan finished wiping both hands. Pei Yule thought he’d let go, but the Alpha instead opened his own hand and clasped Pei Yule’s palm. Huo Juan’s hand was larger, almost completely enveloping his. The warmth of their skin transferred between them.

“What’s up?”

Seeing his confusion, Huo Juan looked at him and said, “I feel a bit uncomfortable. A little ‘therapy’.”

That wiped away all of Pei Yule’s doubts. He gave an “oh” and stayed still, letting Huo Juan hold his hand. It had been seven days since their last session; the guy must be in a lot of pain. Was his “business” actually just coming to find his medicine?

Feeling he’d been a bit inconsiderate, Pei Yule took the initiative and asked, “Is this enough?”

…Of course not. Huo Juan locked his gaze on Pei Yule’s face. Recalling the scene of him holding Qiao Shengmo, a dark light flashed in his eyes. Pei Yule still carried the scent of Qiao Shengmo on him.

Since Huo Juan began taking the X-supplement, he had no pheromones of his own, and the scent he had left on Pei Yule was fading. He closed his eyes, hiding the unreadable emotion.

“Mm,” he murmured. “…Not quite.”

See, I knew it wasn’t enough, Pei Yule thought. He looked around and felt that standing in the hallway wasn’t ideal for “therapy”—too many people could see. He spotted an empty classroom nearby and dragged Huo Juan inside.

He looked at Huo Juan for a moment, then, under the man’s silent gaze, he reached out and hugged him.

But because he was wearing so many layers, the hug had no real “contact.” Pei Yule quickly let go and stepped back. He frowned, thought for a second, and then unzipped his heavy coat and took it off. He was about to try again when the silent Huo Juan suddenly tugged his hand.

He pulled him into a very warm embrace, spreading the coat back over him to block out the winter chill. Huo Juan leaned down, his thin lips accidentally brushing against Pei Yule’s neck. He paused, withdrawing slightly with intense restraint.