“You read this kind of novel too?” Chi Zhan asked, a hint of surprise in his tone. “Didn’t expect that.”
“As a med student, I definitely can’t agree with something so lacking in scientific basis,” Cen Chi replied. “But if it’s just a novel, there’s no need to care about logic.”
“Right?” Tao Ran chimed in. “I’ve never heard of a Beta turning into an Omega. Once your secondary gender is confirmed, it’s set for life. That’s basic genetics. And genes aren’t exactly something you can change after the fact. But in novels, it’s all personal headcanons—secondary differentiation, gene editing, that kind of thing. Like that’d ever happen in real life.”
Yeah… that would never happen.
Chi Zhan unconsciously rubbed the back of his neck.
He’d already taken off the disinfectant patch while showering earlier. It didn’t really matter whether he wore it or not, but he still couldn’t wrap his head around one thing—
Why had Cen Chi insisted on him putting it on in the first place?
The towel obscured his view, so he didn’t notice that Cen Chi was no longer reading his book. Instead, he was watching Chi Zhan closely, as if carefully calculating something.
Lights-out rolled around, and one by one the dorm lights went out, plunging the room into silence.
Chi Zhan lay on his back, one arm propped behind his head, still trying to piece together what had happened during the time he was unconscious. But the memories were like shadows behind a thick veil—he could only recall faint outlines, nothing concrete.
He really had exhausted himself today—fighting off over a dozen students, both mentally and physically drained. Eventually, he shut his eyes, and his breathing gradually evened out.
Tao Ran, having finished the latest update of his webnovel, shut down his terminal with a disappointed sigh, rolled over, and passed out cold.
Only Cen Chi’s desk lamp remained lit in the entire dorm.
Other than the soft sound of breathing, all was quiet.
With a light tap of his finger on the switch, the last bit of light disappeared.
Like a silent black cat, Cen Chi moved toward Chi Zhan without making a sound. Chi Zhan was clearly fast asleep. His skin still carried the faint flush of someone fresh from a hot shower, his bangs damp and slightly clinging to his forehead. Compared to his usual meticulous appearance, he looked surprisingly youthful, almost boyish.
But Cen Chi’s gaze now held none of its usual gentleness. It was inquisitive, even invasive. One hand braced beside Chi Zhan, he slowly leaned in, casting a deeper shadow over him.
Chi Zhan lay defenseless in his slumber, and the distance between them closed rapidly—close enough to share breath, their noses practically brushing.
Just a bit closer, and their lips would touch.
Chi Zhan’s body exuded a faint, pleasant scent from his body wash—clean and citrusy.
But no pheromones.
Cen Chi stared intently at him, as though waiting for the moment he might wake up.
Based on his observations, Chi Zhan wasn’t a deep sleeper—certainly not compared to Tao Ran, who could sleep through anything. Normally, even a small disturbance could wake him.
But tonight… nothing.
Chi Zhan’s breathing remained steady, deep.
Was he just that exhausted?
He had gone through a lot today, not to mention the pheromone surge yesterday…
Still, even if he woke up—it didn’t matter.
Anything he didn’t want to remember… Cen Chi could make him forget.
He leaned down again and pressed his lips to Chi Zhan’s—pale, slightly dry lips that lacked the usual rosy hue. Chi Zhan’s body had always been somewhat delicate. But somehow, those lips held an inexplicable allure, pulling Cen Chi deeper, making him want to kiss harder.
In his dreams, Chi Zhan offered no resistance as his lips were pried open. Cen Chi moved gently, lips grazing, tongue exploring, until he finally released a slow trickle of his own pheromones into Chi Zhan’s mouth.
A mere trace left on the skin was nothing compared to this—true exchange. If Chi Zhan were an Omega, this would’ve been enough to trigger a full Heat.
And yet Chi Zhan remained completely unresponsive, docile beneath him. Cen Chi kissed him deeply, lifting his gaze as he did, but Chi Zhan showed no signs of waking.
Nor any sign of being aroused.
The air remained utterly clean. Other than that subtle citrusy bath scent, there was nothing.
So he really… wasn’t an Omega?
Cen Chi’s brow furrowed slightly. Even he couldn’t make sense of it. If Chi Zhan wasn’t an Omega, then what the hell had that pheromone response been?
Withdrawing slightly, he stared at Chi Zhan’s lips—no longer pale, now flushed with a dewy red. He reached out and gently wiped the moisture from the corner of Chi Zhan’s mouth. Still fast asleep.
Cen Chi chuckled softly to himself.
So even you have moments when your guard’s down.
Even for a Beta… this was far too defenseless.
He carefully tucked the blanket back around Chi Zhan’s shoulders, then retreated as silently as he had come.
Chi Zhan’s eyelashes fluttered.
He opened his eyes slightly.
This wasn’t the first time.
Cen Chi… really is hiding something.
A mechanical voice chimed in his ear: “NPC No. 013, congratulations. You have completed the task: [Become the Crown Prince’s Secretary]. Next task: Assassinate the Crown Prince.”
***
“…I refuse.”
The system’s voice remained as cold and emotionless as ever. “You do not have the right to refuse. If you disobey, the system reserves the right to reset your code at any time.”
Chi Zhan’s voice was even colder.
“Then go ahead and reset me. But as long as I exist, I won’t agree to something that stupid.”
The system glitched, sputtering out a series of shrill, garbled noises.
Chi Zhan calmly kept his eyes closed. Only the space between his brows tightened slightly in the darkness.
“You’re noisy,” he muttered.
What the system thought of that outburst, he didn’t care to know. He tossed out one last sentence with complete indifference:
“I’m going to sleep. Don’t bother me unless it’s important.”
“You! You insolent NPC—you dare disobey! A command from the master system is absolute! If you comply now, it’s not too late! Once the main system is enraged, the consequences won’t be something you can endure!”
“Oh.”
Silence.
Whether the system had crashed from rage or malfunctioned, Chi Zhan didn’t know—and didn’t care. He rolled over in bed.
He didn’t fall asleep as he said he would. Instead, he quietly turned things over in his mind.
