What to Do if You Mess With an Omega? - Chapter 9

Ning Hanzhu was still shaken.

In that earlier scene, if Yan Feipeng had gone berserk and decided to make an example of her, she’d have been the first unlucky soul to meet her maker in the brawl.

She wondered if dying would let her go home. If so, it wouldn’t be such a bad deal.

Xu Yuqing noticed her distraction and, after hesitating, said, “Your inhibitor patch… it’s about to fall off.”

Ning Hanzhu instinctively touched her neck. The bandage-like patch was indeed peeling, probably from all the sweat and her collar rubbing against it. She casually tore it off and pulled a new one from her pocket, sticking it on. “Thanks.”

Xu Yuqing stayed an arm’s length away.

Like she was guarding against a thief.

“Um, I’m sorry.”

“Hm?”

Ning Hanzhu didn’t want to use her condition as an excuse. “I didn’t mean to offend you earlier. I’m not fully aware of these things—nobody taught me. I only differentiated two days ago, still a baby learning to walk. But I promise it won’t happen again.”

Xu Yuqing froze.

Meeting Ning Hanzhu’s clear, earnest eyes and her solemn promise, she found herself at a loss for words.

“If you’re still upset, you can hit me again.”

Ning Hanzhu leaned forward, offering her other cheek, slightly nervous. “But after you do, you can’t stay mad.”

Xu Yuqing raised her hand.

Ning Hanzhu immediately shut her eyes, her trembling lashes betraying her tension.

Behind her, a group of Alphas craned their necks, eagerly awaiting Xu Yuqing’s slap so they could mock Ning Hanzhu—this kid, the last to differentiate, yet the first to meet such a stunning Beta. Her luck was unreal.

But they waited and waited, and the slap never came.

“You’re dreaming if you think it’s that easy. I’ll keep this incident in mind and decide whether to forgive you based on your future behavior.”

“Huh?”

Ning Hanzhu opened her eyes to find Xu Yuqing already several steps away.

Lu Yutang sauntered over. “Bamboo, spill it. How’d you offend her?”

Ning Hanzhu, mortified by her blunder, refused to say. “Brother Lu, got time to go to the dense forest soon?”

Lu Yutang eyed her suspiciously. “Why the sudden interest? Don’t you usually steer clear of that place?”

“I’ve got a job for you.”

Not knowing if Xu Yuqing had changed her mind, Ning Hanzhu dangled the prospect, then chased after her.

…

Meanwhile, Yan Feipeng stopped after turning a corner and issued orders. “Send a few people to the Luo family to check if that girl’s story holds up.”

“Boss, if it’s true, what’s the plan?”

“Heh, if I want something, I’ll take it by any means. A Beta from the capital star? Even an Omega—I see it, it’s mine.”

“Boss is mighty.”

Unaware she was being targeted, Xu Yuqing sneezed hard. As Ning Hanzhu approached, she was unceremoniously pushed away.

Ning Hanzhu felt utterly crushed. “You don’t seem like the type to look down on people, so why do you always push me away?”

Sure, the original owner’s clothes were shabby, but her looks weren’t bad, and she was still growing. In Ning Hanzhu’s eyes, she was a decent-looking Alpha cub on Alpha Star.

Xu Yuqing laughed helplessly. “Has anyone told you your pheromones are really aggressive?”

Ning Hanzhu, “?”

She sniffed herself, smelling nothing. “Are they?”

“They are.”

Lu Yutang’s disgust was even more blatant. Covering his nose, he stopped three meters away and tossed her a towel. “I meant to say earlier—don’t think I won’t hit you just because you’re young. If I didn’t know you, I’d think you were provoking me.”

Ning Hanzhu, “??”

This was a big problem.

She couldn’t even smell her own pheromones. Was this the pheromone recognition disorder the doctor mentioned?

Good grief, did this condition affect friend and foe alike?

Was the inhibitor patch useless?

Ning Hanzhu’s expression cracked bit by bit. She forced a laugh. “Just differentiated, not quite skilled yet.”

She hurriedly pulled Lu Yutang aside, and they whispered furtively in a corner.

Xu Yuqing guessed she was seeking advice. An Alpha this rough around the edges, clueless about basic biology, was a first for her.

She now believed Ning Hanzhu’s earlier pervert act was unintentional. Then… her clothes were tugged.

Ning Qianqian squatted at her feet, looking up. “Pretty Sister, please don’t leave.”

Xu Yuqing saw her straining her neck and crouched down too. “Who said I’m leaving?”

Ning Qianqian pouted. “You left earlier, and Sister was so worried she didn’t even eat. She went to find you.”

She pointed at the cooled takeout box. In her mind, only a dire emergency could make her sister abandon food.

Xu Yuqing’s expression grew complicated.

When Ning Hanzhu and Lu Yutang returned after setting a time, they found the big and little one sharing dessert.

The golden caramel pudding looked familiar—part of the takeout Xu Yuqing had ordered but hadn’t tasted.

“Sister, this is yummy! Come try!”

Ning Hanzhu sat beside Ning Qianqian, and a big spoonful was shoved in her mouth. She savored it—sweet, smooth, and tender, but cooled and not as good as the pudding she used to make.

Ning Qianqian loved it. “Sweet and soft, so yummy!”

Ning Hanzhu noticed Xu Yuqing hadn’t eaten much. “Is it good?”

“It’s okay.”

Meaning it wasn’t.

But Ning Hanzhu was starving. She felt hungrier than usual, like she could devour a whole cow.

So, she borrowed a robot at the relief station to reheat the food. The three gathered around a wobbly table, making up for their missed lunch.

The big and little one ate heartily, barely looking up.

Xu Yuqing, with little appetite, was either caught up in their enthusiasm or genuinely hungry, because she unknowingly finished a bowl of rice.

After eating, Ning Hanzhu cleared the trash. Seeing Xu Yuqing organizing her suitcase, she glanced over but quickly looked away.

“You—”

“Spit it out. What do you want to say?”

Ning Hanzhu wanted to ask if she was leaving but reconsidered. They were just strangers who’d crossed paths. She still didn’t even know her full name.

It was normal for her to leave.

Besides, Alpha Star probably held little worth staying for, especially after meeting a creep like Yan Feipeng.

“You mentioned wanting to see the rosy clouds and butterfly dance in the dense forest. Have you changed your mind?”

“You found a guide?”

“Yeah, if you’re set on going, it’s three days from now at dawn. Brother Lu says the fog in the forest clears a bit then, making the path easier. Miss that day, and you’ll wait another month.”

Brother Lu?

The Alpha from earlier.

Xu Yuqing had a good impression of him. “Thank him for me. Payment’s not an issue.”

Ning Hanzhu hesitated, starting and stopping, but said nothing more. “I’ll let Brother Lu know—three days from now.”

Alpha Star had a group of explorers, and Lu Yutang was a veteran. After differentiating into an Alpha at fifteen, he started scavenging—er, exploring—across the planet, occasionally finding rare resources to sell.

This built him a network and reputation. His team grew rapidly, now thirty to fifty strong, and their exploration extended beyond Alpha Star to other planets.

The original owner had considered joining him, but she couldn’t bring Ning Qianqian, and trips lasted from half a month to several. Lu Qianran, an adult, worried about her son—let alone five-year-old Ning Qianqian.

So the idea was quickly scrapped.

“You and that Brother Lu seem close. He looks out for you.”

“Yeah, he saved me and Qianqian.”

At fifteen, fearless and brash, Lu Yutang bet against Snake Bro and challenged Yan Feipeng on West Street with a few buddies.

He got beaten half to death, nearly losing his life. The original owner found him while scavenging and secretly took him in.

Once healed, Lu Yutang left but soon returned to West Street alone, challenging Yan Feipeng again.

“And he won?”

“No, they tied.”

Ning Hanzhu’s expression was complex, then she added, “But Yan Feipeng’s a dirty cheat with no honor. With his crew’s numbers, Brother Lu nearly died again. He escaped and hid at my place for a few days.”

Xu Yuqing, “…”

Half a year later, Lu Yutang returned with a big crew to West Street for revenge. The brawl lasted three days, bl00d flowing like rivers.

The original owner and Qianqian escaped West Street during that chaos. Lu Yutang took them in, and Auntie Lu got the relief station to help them get new identities.

Even their subsidized housing came through Auntie Lu and Lu Yutang’s connections.

Ning Hanzhu stopped suddenly. “Yan Feipeng’s a vindictive creep. He won’t let you go just because you’re from the capital star. The Luo family’s name might scare him for now, so after you see Alpha Star’s sights, you should leave.”

Xu Yuqing was silent for a moment. “I can’t.”

Ning Hanzhu was surprised. “Why not?”

Xu Yuqing said, “Because my family kicked me out. I’m homeless now.”

Ning Hanzhu’s eyes widened, speechless for a long time.

Seeing her face grow even graver, like it could drip ink, Xu Yuqing’s heart softened. “Kidding. Look at you, all scared.”

Ning Hanzhu nearly choked on her breath. “…Is lying to me that fun?”

Xu Yuqing’s smile was like a lotus in the breeze. “Pretty fun.”