I couldn't tell you were such an innocent

Because Wen Zhiyan had hit too hard, two of the others had been sent to the hospital first.

There were no surveillance cameras at the alley entrance, so investigating what had happened meant relying entirely on the accounts of those involved.

The thugs were clearly repeat offenders. They spouted nonsense throughout questioning, wasting a great deal of time.

And because Wen Zhiyan had yet to complete secondary differentiation, the hospital documents alone were not enough for him to fully invoke the Omega Protection Law and have those bastards punished as severely as possible.

Given the current circumstances and evidence, the other party could only be charged with picking quarrels, provoking trouble, and fighting.

But the law allowed room for human considerations. Anyone with eyes could tell that those thugs had clearly lusted after Wen Zhiyan and attacked him first.

Wen Zhiyan stood behind Jiang Lan, his head lowered without a word.

Jiang Lan shielded Wen Zhiyan as he continued negotiating with the officer handling the case.

"The key issue right now is that your friend isn't an omega. For the time being, we can only handle this case with him classified as a beta."

"There's no dispute that he was the victim and acted in self-defense, but we also lack the higher authorization needed to put ankle monitors on these alphas."

The officer explained the facts objectively to Jiang Lan.

Deeply dissatisfied with this outcome, Jiang Lan frowned.

"What if these people come after my friend for revenge once they're released from detention? Who's going to take responsibility for his safety?"

The officer looked at Jiang Lan and answered strictly by the book.

"I understand your feelings and concerns, but he really isn't an omega. We can't handle this under the Omega Protection Law, and we hope you can understand our position too."

The way the matter had been handled left an unpleasant sense of being stuck in limbo. Jiang Lan was seething when he left the police station with Wen Zhiyan, and it was already well past midnight.

Going back to the dorm was definitely out of the question. Staying at a hotel would mean getting two rooms, and neither Jiang Lan nor Wen Zhiyan had that much money to spare.

The broad road had long since lost the endless streams of traffic that filled it during the day.

Only the occasional vehicle sped past, leaving behind the roar of its engine, especially distinct in the quiet night.

Standing outside the police station with Wen Zhiyan, Jiang Lan looked up at the tall buildings around them, still dotted with lights. "Want to watch the sunrise?"

Wen Zhiyan had never watched the sunrise, nor was he particularly interested.

But he didn't want to contradict Jiang Lan just then, so he simply nodded. "All right."

A few kilometers behind S University stood the highest mountain in all of Haicheng. Jiang Lan bought two sandwiches and two bottles of milk at the convenience store outside the police station, but after seeing that the milk cost five yuan, he put one bottle back and exchanged it for a one-yuan bottle of mineral water.

He rented a car-share vehicle outside the police station, handed Wen Zhiyan a sandwich and a bottle of milk, and started the car.

Wen Zhiyan looked at the mineral water Jiang Lan had set on the center armrest. "You don't drink milk?"

Jiang Lan shook his head. "Only you omegas like that milky stuff."

Wen Zhiyan said nothing more. He didn't ask when Jiang Lan had gotten his license or how well he drove, either. He simply opened the milk in silence, took a small sip, and screwed the cap back on.

It was still pitch-black when Jiang Lan drove them smoothly to the foot of the mountain.

He had never come to climb the mountain at this hour himself. Looking up at that enormous black mass, he couldn't help regretting it a little. He was just about to tell Wen Zhiyan that perhaps they should head back and make do with a room near campus instead.

Then Wen Zhiyan took out his phone, checked the time, and said, "If we set out now, we should reach the summit just in time for sunrise."

Hearing that, Jiang Lan swallowed his words again and asked Wen Zhiyan, "Do you really want to go?"

He was afraid that halfway up, Wen Zhiyan would be tired and scared and refuse to keep walking. Stuck halfway like that, Jiang Lan would probably have to carry him up the mountain.

Wen Zhiyan nodded, seemingly without any reluctance. "I've never watched the sunrise."

Only then did Jiang Lan make up his mind. "All right, but it's a little dark right now. If you get scared, just hold on to me."

Wen Zhiyan murmured an acknowledgment and stepped onto the mountain path before Jiang Lan.

People seemed to have inexhaustible energy when they were young.

Although Wen Zhiyan had spent the entire day in class, worked for half the evening, gotten into a physical fight not long before, and then spent half the night sitting in the police station.

He seemed not to feel tired at all, steadily keeping pace with Jiang Lan the whole way.

Although the mountain path had steps, they were steep and narrow. By the latter half of the climb, even Jiang Lan couldn't help feeling surprised. He turned to look at Wen Zhiyan, only a step behind him, his own breathing no longer even.

"Aren't you tired?"

Apart from slightly flushed cheeks and a light sheen of sweat on his forehead, Wen Zhiyan looked perfectly normal.

He thought for a moment and answered honestly, "A little. Reaching the summit won't be a problem."

Jiang Lan hesitated briefly, then held out a hand to Wen Zhiyan. "Want me to pull you along?"

After saying it, he felt that his behavior might seem a little creepy to an omega.

So he let out another awkward sound and added, "I'm not trying to take advantage of you. If you've got enough stamina, you can say no."

Wen Zhiyan had intended to refuse, but looking at the clean, slender hand held out before him, its joints well defined, he hesitated briefly and chose to place his hand in Jiang Lan's palm after all.

Jiang Lan's palm was hot but not sweaty. This dispelled what little aversion Wen Zhiyan had initially felt, and he tightened his grip on Jiang Lan's hand.

Jiang Lan pulled Wen Zhiyan along as they continued climbing. "You've got pretty good stamina. Nothing like an omega."

Wen Zhiyan said nothing.

Jiang Lan continued on his own. "Your hands are pretty big too. Not like an omega's either."

Wen Zhiyan raised an eyebrow. "Do other omegas have tiny hands?"

Jiang Lan fell silent. Just as Wen Zhiyan's expression cooled and he was about to pull his hand free, Jiang Lan said:

"They seem to, I guess. But I've never held another omega's hand, so I don't really know the details."

He turned his head toward Wen Zhiyan. "Haven't you compared with the others in your dorm?"

Wen Zhiyan glanced at Jiang Lan. "Compared sizes? They're not alphas. What's there to compare?"

At first, Jiang Lan didn't understand how alphas had entered the conversation. He was about to say that alphas were always comparing themselves, competing over everything-not just their hands, but their heights and weights too.

But the moment he started speaking, he realized that Wen Zhiyan seemed to mean something else.

He blushed and gave a light cough, chiding him. "What's with you? You'll say anything."

Wen Zhiyan rarely joked with people, especially not in a slightly risqué way like this. He had never said anything like that before.

But for some reason, with Jiang Lan, he felt an unusual urge to tease.

Seeing Jiang Lan react like this made it even more entertaining. His lips curved. "I couldn't tell you were such an innocent."