No Need for That

Duan Xu cast Shen Yanlang a horrified look. Shen Yanlang was baffled. "What is it?"

"Don't worry." Shen Yanlang thought he was worried about the differentiation. "Just listen to the doctor. Oh, right, Doctor, about what I asked earlier..."

The doctor's gaze moved back and forth between them before he smiled. "There are a few things to watch out for. He differentiated late and is already an adult, so the process won't take too long—around two to three months. Once he has fully differentiated, his heat will be more intense than that of ordinary omegas. My suggestion is to find an alpha as soon as possible."

Fuck!

Duan Xu cursed inwardly. He had not even fully processed his differentiation yet, and now he was being told to find an alpha!

Find an alpha...

Shen Yanlang repeated the words in his mind. An idea suddenly came to him, as though something had broken free from its restraints and been released all at once, crystal clear.

Duan Xu had no idea what Shen Yanlang meant. He asked the doctor weakly, "Would inhibitors not work?"

The doctor frowned. "It's not impossible, but try not to use them. Your situation is unusual. It would be best to use an alpha's pheromones to soothe you. Otherwise, I can't be sure whether there will be any lasting effects."

Duan Xu took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. The doctor had said it was not impossible, so he would just do his best to find one. If he could not, then he would use inhibitors.

Shen Yanlang looked at Duan Xu. His peach-blossom eyes curved slightly, and his smile was exceptionally captivating. "Thank you, Doctor. Please prescribe some inhibitors first, just in case."

Two or three months is enough.

Enough for what? Duan Xu wondered.

The doctor found that acceptable and prescribed Duan Xu two bottles of inhibitors. Shen Yanlang took Duan Xu to pick them up, then brought him back to the dorm.

"You're in the process of differentiating now, so you need to be careful about everything. Don't go to crowded places, and try not to come into contact with other alphas or omegas. If you do, keep your distance," Shen Yanlang reminded him after they returned to the dorm.

"Got it." Duan Xu nodded obediently, warmth rising in his heart. "Weren't you going home?"

Shen Yanlang had received a call on the way back. Someone had urged him to return home.

Shen Yanlang gave a quiet hum. He was worried about Duan Xu, but he had no choice but to leave, so he could only remind him a few more times. "Call me if anything happens."

"Okay." Duan Xu smiled and waved at him.

Shen Yanlang gave him a deep look before turning and leaving the dorm.

When I come back, I have to stay by his side every second.

Duan Xu: "..." There was really no need for that.

After Shen Yanlang left, Duan Xu called his mother, but the call did not go through. She was out of service range.

Duan Xu hung up. It looked like she had gone off into some remote mountain forest with his father again.

*

Two days later, the holiday ended, and Zhou Zhou and the others returned.

For the time being, Shen Yanlang did not tell Zhou Zhou and the others about Duan Xu's differentiation. Duan Xu had no intention of mentioning it either. They were all betas anyway, so there was no need to worry too much.

After two days of classes, the Cycling Club they had joined finally made an announcement. There would be a cycling event this Saturday, following the greenway from the school's front gate all the way to Lihu Park, taking about an hour in total.

They would take a group photo at the park, then have an hour of free time. After that, they would ride back to the school together and finish with a group meal at a farmhouse restaurant.

After seeing the announcement, Zhou Zhou immediately told them about it. He added, "The president also said that if we don't have bicycles, we need to rent them from a bike shop first."

"I have one, but it's at home," Xiao Xu said.

"Same here," Shen Yanlang said.

Seeing this, Duan Xu said, "Let's just rent them, then. It'd be too much trouble for you to bring them from home."

"Yeah, that would be more convenient. Besides, there are only one or two events like this each semester," Zhou Zhou agreed with a nod.

Shen Yanlang and Xiao Xu nodded as well, and it was settled.

At noon on Saturday, the four of them ate first, then went to a bike shop to rent mountain bikes. Each bought a bottle of water to bring along before finally heading to the school gate to gather.

"The juniors are here!" The moment Shen Yanlang arrived, everyone's attention shifted toward him. Huang Yonghe waved at them.

Shen Yanlang and the other three pushed their bikes over.

Beside Huang Yonghe stood a clean-looking, innocent girl with shoulder-length hair and straight bangs that made her look even cuter. She smiled. "Sign in here."

The four signed in, and Huang Yonghe said from the side, "This is my girlfriend, Yu Qingqing. She's also a sophomore, so you can just call her Senior Yu."

"Hello, Senior Yu." The four obediently greeted her.

There were quite a few people joining the ride. Many of them kept looking in Shen Yanlang's direction and whispering among themselves.

"We're so lucky! I never thought we'd get to ride with the campus heartthrob!"

"Right? And did you notice? Everyone in the campus heartthrob's dorm is good-looking!"

"I did! They're all handsome in their own ways!"

There was no need to mention Shen Yanlang. Since he had been voted the campus heartthrob, he naturally had the highest looks. Today, he wore a gray tracksuit that made him look more youthful and energetic than usual.

Duan Xu and Zhou Zhou were both delicate and pleasant-looking, but their temperaments were different, giving off completely different impressions. Both wore light white sportswear. Duan Xu seemed cuter, while Zhou Zhou seemed more refined and noble. Of course, the moment he opened his mouth, all that refinement vanished.

Lastly came Xiao Xu. His features leaned toward the rugged side, and he was very handsome as well. Even his black sportswear could not hide his solid muscles. He was the very picture of a sunny, tough guy.

As an S-rank alpha, Shen Yanlang had sharp hearing and caught their words, but he did not care. Right now, his mind was entirely focused on Duan Xu's differentiation.

I wonder whether cycling will affect his differentiation?

Duan Xu: "..."

At first, he had been quite touched, but after Shen Yanlang fussed over every little detail every day, he had gone numb. He was even speechless.

He was differentiating, not pregnant!

There was no need. Really, no need!

Zhou Zhou was more outgoing and quickly hit it off with several other people, making Xiao Xu sulk in silence.

Two minutes later, two more people arrived, causing quite a stir.

Duan Xu looked over and discovered that one of them was actually Han Xi, the protagonist shou. Beside him stood a boy wearing gold-rimmed glasses. Though he wore sportswear, he still had the air of an elite professional.

The boy walked straight up to Shen Yanlang and patted him. "Didn't we say we'd have a meal together? National Day is already over, and I still only get to see you at a club event."

Shen Yanlang's expression remained indifferent. "No time."

"You have no time?" Xue Jingshu did not believe him. He pushed up his glasses. "Then why did I hear that you even came back to stay at school for one night during National Day?"

Shen Yanlang showed no embarrassment at being exposed. "There's a group dinner tonight."

Xue Jingshu curled his lips into a smile. "You're really stingy."

Shen Yanlang: "..."

He pulled Duan Xu over and introduced him. "This is Xue Jingshu, the student council president. Duan Xu, my... roommate."