Chi Zhan was completely baffled now. He had no intention of humoring Cen Chi any further. What, was a fever contagious now? Cen Chi wasn’t acting normal either.
Compared to his usual charming and smooth demeanor, today’s prolonged silence was downright unsettling. Chi Zhan frowned.Â
“Are you sick too? Don’t forget to take your medicine.”
He was about to change clothes when he noticed Cen Chi’s gaze locked directly onto him—so direct it couldn’t be ignored, no matter how much he tried to pretend otherwise. Chi Zhan finally snapped, “What the hell are you—”
“You’re planning to go out reeking of pheromones?” Cen Chi interrupted.
Half his face was cast in shadow, and the familiar smile no longer lingered at the corners of his lips. Those gray eyes had darkened into a deep, stormy shade.
Chi Zhan’s heart skipped a beat. That vague sense of foreboding he’d been trying to ignore—he could feel it starting to materialize.
“…You’re the one who failed to control your pheromones,” Chi Zhan said evenly. “Even if anyone notices, no one’s going to suspect you.”
“What was your score in Basic Physiology?” Cen Chi suddenly asked, seemingly out of nowhere. “Did you pass?”
“What does that have to do with you?” Chi Zhan shot back.
The truth was—he hadn’t taken the course at all.
Basic Physiology was one of the most critical courses across all higher education institutions. Alphas and Omegas were required to score over ninety to graduate; failing meant a delayed diploma.
It was a matter of public safety. Without proper understanding of their own biology, Alphas and Omegas could easily cause chaos in society.
But Betas, due to their biological makeup, had virtually no pheromone response. They were, in a way, outsiders. As a result, many schools didn’t even offer the course to Betas. It wasn’t seen as necessary.
Chi Zhan’s high school was one of those schools. As a Beta, he had never learned about Alpha and Omega physiology, let alone the precautions involved.
Which meant…
Chi Zhan had no idea that Omega heat periods were typically triggered by close exposure to Alpha pheromones—followed by emotional volatility, drowsiness, reduced appetite, fever, physical fatigue, loss of pheromone control, and a strong preference for a specific Alpha’s scent.
He was exhibiting every single symptom.
Chi Zhan had never studied this. Had never even paid attention. But Cen Chi was different. He’d scored a perfect mark in the subject, and with his specialization in medicine, his understanding of pheromones went even deeper.
“You’re in heat,” Cen Chi said, his tone as calm and matter-of-fact as if he were reading off a diagnosis. “If you don’t believe me, step outside this dorm. The pheromone sensors will go off, and then… everyone will know—That you’ve differentiated into an Omega.”
***
Chi Zhan was silent for a few seconds, then replied flatly, “You switched my pheromone test report.”
He didn’t expect Cen Chi to admit anything. Truthfully, if he thought back on it, nearly everything Cen Chi had ever said to him was probably a lie.
Chi Zhan didn’t know why Cen Chi had approached him in the first place, but whatever sweetened poison he had offered—Chi Zhan was done pretending it hadn’t happened. Now that he’d seen Cen Chi’s true face, there was no going back.
He grabbed a jacket and strode toward the door. As he brushed past, Cen Chi reached out and grabbed his arm.
Chi Zhan had expected this. He tried to shake him off, but with his fever and weakened state, his strength was no match—he couldn’t break free right away.
“Let go,” he said quietly.
The antipyretic really hadn’t helped much. Even after sleeping for hours, he still felt dizzy, burning hot. His body had never felt this feverish before.
Chi Zhan was doing everything he could to keep his expression neutral—to hide how bad he truly felt.
“I know you’re in pain,” Cen Chi said softly, voice gentle as wind rustling fallen leaves in a forest, so calm it lulled Chi Zhan’s frayed nerves, “I won’t lie to you anymore. You might not believe me, but I didn’t tamper with your test report. You really are a Beta. But what’s happening now… it mimics Omega heat.”
“…You’re talking nonsense.” Chi Zhan’s thoughts were already fuzzy. The persistent fever and this cotton-candy floaty feeling in his limbs left no room for rational processing. All he wanted was to get out of here and find a doctor.
Cen Chi looked at the flush on Chi Zhan’s face and the heat radiating from his skin. He had assumed this was just another case of pheromone flare-up like what happened at the training grounds. Back then, a simple pheromone patch had done the trick.
So while Chi Zhan was sleeping, he had quietly applied a new blocking patch.
Chi Zhan wasn’t an Omega. That much was certain.
The test report was based on data analysis. Beta and Omega gene sequences were vastly different—it was impossible to misidentify them. Pheromone leaks didn’t equal secondary gender change.
After applying the patch, the pheromone levels had dropped. Cen Chi had felt some relief. He even began researching rare Beta pheromone disorders. But then Chi Zhan’s pheromones returned—and grew even stronger.
Things were going very wrong.
“You need to take a pheromone suppressant,” Cen Chi said, his voice a careful blend of coaxing and insistence. “Otherwise, people will notice. A Beta turning into an Omega is rare. The research institute won’t let an opportunity like this pass. And I don’t think you want to end up as someone’s lab rat, do you?”
Chi Zhan’s brows furrowed. After a long moment, he abruptly shoved Cen Chi away.
Caught off guard, Cen Chi stumbled back and slammed into the wall.
“I don’t believe a single word you say anymore.” Chi Zhan grabbed a water-based pen from the table and pointed it straight at him, coldly. “Stay the hell away from me.”
His fingers were trembling—barely noticeable. That shove had drained what little strength he had left. He turned and walked toward the door.
But he hadn’t made it far when it hit him again—that plant-like scent.
Under normal circumstances, it would’ve been faint—just a whisper across the tip of the nose. But now, it was amplified a hundredfold. Rosemary, agarwood, pine resin, crushed grass… They poured into his lungs, one breath after another.
