He is not my Alpha! - Chapter 24
The bond between Alpha and Omega is sometimes truly magical.
At three in the morning, everyone in the dorm room was woken up by Jiang Jie, except for Ji Yifei in bed.
Lin Ling propped himself up, pulled a face, and was about to curse Jiang Jie when he was stunned by the room full of jasmine scent.
“Who the hell sprayed this perfume…” Lin Ling started cursing before even opening his eyes.
Chen Ken also woke up, fumbled for his glasses by the bedside, put them on, and turned on the small bedside lamp, finally bringing some light to the dorm.
“Class Monitor, hurry up and come down! Ji Yifei is almost done for…” Jiang Jie was so anxious he was practically rolling on the floor. He was woken up by the strong scent on his midnight trip to the bathroom. He found the source of the smell was Ji Yifei. When he pulled back the curtain, Ji Yifei inside looked like he was about to boil over.
Chen Ken and Lin Ling were both startled by this and quickly got out of bed, rushing to Ji Yifei’s bunk.
Chen Ken reached out and touched Ji Yifei. His body was unbelievably hot. The person on the bed was constantly sweating, and his complexion was unreasonably flushed.
“Didn’t he take an inhibitor shot?” Chen Ken asked.
“I don’t know if he did. You can’t just randomly inject inhibitors, and he’s not fully conscious right now, so I don’t dare to give him a random shot,” Jiang Jie’s emotions stabilized a little, but his tone still betrayed his anxiety.
Lin Ling was also exasperated by Jiang Jie: “Why are you still thinking? Just find a teacher quickly!”
He said this and was about to run out.
But Chen Ken pulled him back after only a few steps.
“It’s three in the morning. Where are you going to find a teacher? Call them?” Chen Ken quickly thought it over in his mind. He saw a used inhibitor syringe in the trash can, indicating Ji Yifei had already taken a shot upon returning.
“Based on the time he got back, he can take the second inhibitor shot when it’s time to get up in the morning. You two go back to sleep first. I’ll watch over him here.”
Lin Ling looked at Chen Ken’s reliable demeanor, and they both nodded, but they were still extremely anxious and unwilling to go back to sleep.
In the end, all three of them stayed up, watching Ji Yifei on the bed under the Class Monitor’s small night light. They chatted amongst themselves until the 6:30 wake-up bell.
Chen Ken administered the inhibitor shot, watching as Ji Yifei’s condition improved slightly and his consciousness slowly began to return.
Ji Yifei felt weak all over, without strength in his limbs. It took a great effort just to open his eyelids.
He opened his mouth to say something, but his throat was too hoarse from the long fever, and nothing came out.
Why am I so weak every day lately? Ji Yifei grumbled inwardly.
He saw his three roommates surrounding him and watching. Just as he was about to speak, a straw was shoved into his mouth.
He sucked twice and found the water was a bit sweet, and it had fizz…
“No water. Drink some Sprite first to replenish some sugar,” Lin Ling said, letting out a yawn.
Ji Yifei took a couple of sips of Sprite. The inhibitor’s effect finally kicked in. But the second wake-up bell had already rung, meaning if the three of them didn’t get ready soon, they would be marked as late.
With Lin Ling’s shout of “Holy crap,” the three of them rushed to change clothes. Jiang Jie couldn’t even be bothered to wear his contact lenses today, and he skipped his usual three-step routine of toner, lotion, and face cream, just hurriedly washing his face.
Chen Ken fussed over Ji Yifei, giving him instructions for a long time, and finally left with reluctance. Even after leaving the dorm, he opened the door again and said, “If you need anything, text Li Jiang and have him tell me to come back.”
Chen Ken, the “good student,” didn’t even carry a phone.
Ji Yifei nodded to show he understood. Watching the three leave, the dorm suddenly felt empty.
He carefully recalled the details of taking the inhibitor shot last night and concluded that the inhibitor was not completely ineffective for him, but its effective duration was greatly shortened.
Now that his strength had returned, he sat up in bed. Perhaps to dissipate his pheromones last night, the dorm window was open. Ji Yifei put on his jacket and closed it slightly.
He looked at the unmade beds of his three roommates, who had left in a hurry. He sighed and went up to help them fold their quilts neatly.
As soon as he finished folding, the dorm supervisor came to check the room. After exchanging a few words with Ji Yifei and leaving, he finally had a chance to lie back down and pick up his phone.
He had set his phone to silent before sleeping yesterday. When he turned it on again, the topmost chat box showed 13 unread messages.
10:00
Shang Ten-Year-Old: “Are you asleep?”
10:05
[The message has been recalled]
Shang Ten-Year-Old: “I have a problem today. The teacher said it’s quite difficult. I’ll send it to you.”
Shang Ten-Year-Old: [Image]
10:06
Shang Ten-Year-Old: “You can try doing it.”
10:20
Shang Ten-Year-Old: “If you have any questions after finishing it, you can send them to me. I’ll explain it.”
10:40
[The message has been recalled]
Shang Ten-Year-Old: “We were tested on ancient poems today. Remember to memorize them too.”
11:20
Shang Ten-Year-Old: “I suddenly remembered the teacher said someone would present the English text tomorrow. Are you going to sign up?”
11:50
Shang Ten-Year-Old: “The math problem might be a bit difficult. I’ll send you the solution directly.”
Shang Ten-Year-Old: [Image]
Shang Ten-Year-Old: “This is my organized solution. Ask me if you have any more questions.”
12:20
[The message has been recalled]
Shang Ten-Year-Old: “I plan to study all night tonight and check in every hour.”
1:00
Shang Ten-Year-Old: “Check-in.”
2:00
[The message has been recalled]
2:05
Shang Ten-Year-Old: Goodnight.jpg
The sound of loud reading echoed through the teaching building, but Shang Yan’s reading voice was much quieter than usual today.
Confirming that the Chinese teacher had gone to the next class, Li Jiang quickly sat down on his seat for a rest.
“Shang Yan, you’re so dishonest. You used to read loudly to remind me when the teacher was coming. You did nothing this time. Your reading voice has been pitifully quiet all morning.”
Shang Yan didn’t turn around and replied, “You yourself dragged Zhou Tian to the bathroom for a ranking match last night. Do you even know what time you played until to be this sleepy?”
Zhou Tian hastily explained, “That’s because he’s in his Sensitivity Period. I was afraid he’d get too aggressive and hurt someone, so I dragged him to the bathroom to let off some steam, understand!”
Shang Yan nodded but let out a small scoff.
His comment reminded Li Jiang of Zhou Tian’s Sensitivity Period in the bathroom last night…
A vibration came from inside Shang Yan’s jacket. Shang Yan immediately stood up and told the class representative he was going to the restroom.
Li Jiang quickly climbed out of his desk, his eyes still closed. He immediately started reciting Guo Qin Lun (On the Faults of Qin), but when he opened his eyes, he saw no teacher, only the person in front missing: “? Holy crap, Shang Yan, are you trying to scare me to death?”
Shang Yan rushed all the way to the restroom, closed the stall door, quickly pulled out his phone, and concentrated on the screen.
The phone was still vibrating, indicating more than one message.
Shang Yan swiped to unlock his phone, and the first screen was WeChat. The signal in the restroom wasn’t great, and it lagged for a moment. The information bar at the top showed 10 messages.
He clicked on the message thread and scrolled to the top. Ji Yifei had replied to him one by one.
7:40
Ji Three-Year-Old: “Just woke up, I was asleep then.”
Ji Three-Year-Old: “I’ve done similar problems. Let me take a look.”
Ji Three-Year-Old: “OK.”
7:42
Ji Three-Year-Old: “Finished it.”
Ji Three-Year-Old: “Memorized it.”
Ji Three-Year-Old: “Not well yet, can’t go.”
Ji Three-Year-Old: “Read the solution. It’s very detailed.”
Ji Three-Year-Old: “Thank you, Teacher Shang.”
Ji Three-Year-Old: “No problem.”
Ji Three-Year-Old: “Don’t check in. Go to bed early.”
Shang Yan felt he had sent too many messages last night. If he had sent fewer, Ji Yifei wouldn’t have had to reply one by one like this.
But seeing Ji Yifei reply to him one by one also made him incredibly happy inside, a fizzy, swelling feeling like being filled with soda. Each of Ji Yifei’s messages, as he read them, was like a Mentos dropped into the soda, causing an explosion.
He held his phone, unsure how to reply. The fourteenth message arrived. This one was slightly longer.
Ji Three-Year-Old: “I fell asleep right after taking the inhibitor shot last night and haven’t looked at my phone since. But I found that the effective time of the inhibitor has been shortened, so it becomes very uncomfortable later. It should be because of the mark.”
Shang Yan’s Alpha heart instantly clenched upon seeing this message. He had felt something was wrong yesterday. Sure enough, the bond between AOs would not be wrong.
His brows furrowed, and he replied: “Do you need my help?”
As soon as the message was sent, the information bar at the top began to show “The other party is typing…”.
Ji Three-Year-Old: “You’re looking at your phone? Isn’t it time for morning reading now?”
He did not reply to his message asking if he needed help.
He knew Ji Yifei had strong self-esteem and might refuse this help.
He watched the information bar at the top change back to “The other party is typing…” He also started typing, preparing to reply to Ji Yifei.
Shang Ten-Year-Old: “Mhm, my stomach is upset. I’m in the restroom.”
Ji Yifei replied almost instantly: “Okay.”
Just like that, the conversation was completely killed by Ji Yifei’s “Okay.”
Shang Yan still wanted to ask Ji Yifei if he needed help, but seeing Ji Yifei deliberately skipping the message he had sent, perhaps it was a passive refusal.
Shang Yan stood in the restroom for another five minutes before his phone rang again.
Ji Yifei had replied to the message “Do you need my help?” that Shang Yan thought had sunk into the ocean.
Ji Three-Year-Old: “I’ll find you at the cafeteria during dinner time today.”
Shang Yan breathed a sigh of relief. The hand holding the phone couldn’t help but loosen a little, and the stone in his heart finally dropped.
He replied with an “Okay.” After confirming there was no further activity from Ji Yifei’s side, he sent one more message.
Shang Ten-Year-Old: “I’m going to class now. Goodbye.”
At school, the more one anticipates something, the slower time seems to pass. Previously, Shang Yan would concentrate completely in class, and a period would pass in the blink of an eye.
But today was different. Shang Yan started staring at the wall clock from the first period, watching the second and minute hands constantly move, while the hour hand barely budged. He felt an inexplicable sense of urgency.
With the person next to him absent, the feeling of emptiness intensified little by little with the movement of the clock hands.
He finally endured the five morning classes. He and Li Jiang both returned to the dorm, not going to the cafeteria.
Both of their footsteps were faster than usual, but neither teased the other. As soon as Li Jiang returned to the dorm, he climbed onto Zhou Tian’s bed.
As Shang Yan put down his backpack, he heard Zhou Tian’s “Get lost,” his voice as indifferent as ever.
He also picked up his phone from his backpack, lay down on his bed, and started thinking about how to open a conversation.
Since the fourth period, his heart had felt as restless as it did yesterday. He knew this was Ji Yifei’s warning that the effect of the inhibitor had worn off.
He searched online for what to do in this situation. High-matching AOs are rare globally, and cases of this pseudo-permanent mark were even rarer.
He found an online doctor offering one-on-one consultation, paid extra to skip the queue, and began seeking advice.
Dr. X: Hello, how may I help you?
Anonymous: What inhibitor should be used for a pseudo-mark?
Dr. X: Pseudo-marks are divided into two types, psychological and physiological. Which situation applies to you?
Anonymous: It is due to excessively high compatibility. The Omega is currently in the Heat Period. Ordinary inhibitors are ineffective. What should be done?
Dr. X: Does the Alpha have erectile dysfunction?
Anonymous: ?
Shang Yan read the sentence repeatedly. Although he knew it was normal for the other party to ask this question—since those with high compatibility would have completed the mark long ago—there was no other plausible explanation besides sexual dysfunction.
Shang Yan calmed down his mentality about being called “incapable” and continued typing.
Anonymous: In a foreign country, it’s inconvenient.
Dr. X: You can try inhibitors used after marking. They might be more effective for the Omega.
Anonymous: Are there any side effects?
Dr. X: Theoretically, no, but it is still recommended to seek in-person medical attention to discuss a solution, or complete the mark as soon as possible.
Shang Yan felt a headache coming on when he saw the two words “complete the mark.” He quickly clicked “End this session,” reluctantly gave the doctor a five-star review, and exited Baidu to look for ways to buy the inhibitor.
Fortunately, this type of inhibitor was available in ordinary pharmacies. But Shang Yan was still worried about potential side effects. He understood that Ji Yifei coming to him for help this time was a huge step, but it was impossible for him to keep relying on him for help.
He wanted to help him find a better solution. He hoped Ji Yifei would not be controlled by the mark.
The afternoon seemed to pass a little faster than the morning. Shang Yan immediately got up and headed outside as soon as he heard the dinner bell. Li Jiang chased him for half a minute before catching up, followed by Han Dongjun.
Han Dongjun walked past the two of them, carrying a pile of things. Li Jiang couldn’t help but ask, “Holy crap, who are you buying so much stuff for? Is the imperial court distributing relief grain?”
Han Dongjun chuckled twice and replied, “It’s for our School Bully Ji, who’s stuck in the dorm and can’t come out. He has a craving and asked me to bring him things.”
Li Jiang let out a mischievous, drawn-out “Oh~” and joked, “Li Jiang, tell the truth, are you and our School Bully…” He was interrupted by a foot stepping on him before he could finish. He looked around and saw no suspicious characters besides the inexplicably angry Shang, you old man, next to him.
“Holy crap, Shang, you old man, what’s your goal in stepping on my ingrown toenail?”
Shang Yan gave him a sidelong glance and replied, “No goal, my foot slipped.”
Li Jiang: “I think you’re just slippery [cunning].”
With that interruption, the previous topic was dropped. Walking a few more steps, they saw Ji Yifei standing at the cafeteria entrance, still wearing his “black caterpillar” outfit, complete with a mask and hat, forming a striking sight among the crowd of people in school uniforms walking in.
He saw the three of them and started walking toward them. Even though they hadn’t seen each other for only two days, Shang Yan felt it had been a long time.
He truly realized the meaning of the saying, “One day without seeing you is like three autumns.”