Chapter 1: The Start of School

September arrived with the peak of summer’s intensity and a scorching sun.

In a narrow, mottled alley outside the school, three men in black suits surrounded a male student wearing a school uniform.

The leader of the men had a deep scar on his forehead and a menacing aura: “Cheng Si, right? It took a lot of effort to corner you. Young Master Qin said that as long as you’re willing to kneel and apologize, last week’s matter will be considered settled. Otherwise—I’ll f*ckingly kill you!”

He bared a row of yellowish-black teeth and let out a sinister laugh.

The boy named Cheng Si had no expression on his face; he had a buzz cut, long legs, and a voice as cold as his eyes: “If you’re going to fight, hurry up. I’m in a rush.”

“…”

Provoked by his attitude, Scarface cursed him for seeking death and swung a fist toward him.

Cheng Si quickly tossed aside the backpack on his shoulder, agilely sidestepped the attack, grabbed the man’s arm and twisted it hard, simultaneously raising a knee to strike Scarface’s leg joint, instantly immobilizing him.

His speed was unbelievable; following a series of fluid movements, a string of heart-wrenching screams echoed through the alley.

Seeing this, the other two men in suits instantly flew into a rage and charged forward while hurling curses.

A moment later, two more rounds of heavy, painful cries rang out.

Cheng Si looked down at the group, his brow filled with undisguised hostility: “Weren’t you going to kill me?”

Scarface was clearly a seasoned street thug; knowing they couldn’t win, he immediately put on a flattering face and knelt with his two companions: “It wasn’t me! It was Young Master Qin! We’re just working for someone. Please, have mercy—”

“Get lost.”

“Right away!”

The three shut up in one second, stood up in two, and scrambled away on all fours by the third.

Once the area was clear, Cheng Si pressed his finger to the corner of his mouth and felt a trace of dampness.

He was bleeding after all.

He frowned slightly, wiped it away haphazardly, hooked the strap of his backpack off the ground, patted off the dust, and walked quickly out of the alley toward the school.

The school gates closed at nine o’clock sharp; Cheng Si climbed over the back wall to enter.

Just as he neared the auditorium, the phone in his pocket began to vibrate repeatedly.

[Jiang Shuo: The opening ceremony is about to start. Old Jin is taking attendance. Bro, where are you?]

[4: On my way.]

[4: Almost got cornered just now.]

[Jiang Shuo: !!!]

[Jiang Shuo: Qin Qizhen’s people?]

[4: Yeah.]

[Jiang Shuo: Wait for me, backup is coming.]

[4: No need. Handled it.]

Jiang Shuo sent a string of question marks.

Cheng Si didn’t reply again.

Today was the official first day of school at Nanjiang International High School, and he was in a hurry to catch the opening ceremony.

He found his class line and sat in an empty seat in the last row; Jiang Shuo immediately nudged him with an elbow and lowered his voice: “How many of them were there? You settled it all?”

Cheng Si: “Three.”

“They weren’t students, were they?” Jiang Shuo had a shocked expression. “Non-students, and they got counter-killed in a three-on-one? Do they even know how to fight?”

“?”

Jokes aside, Jiang Shuo breathed a sigh of relief once he confirmed there were no other injuries: “Why didn’t you go to the infirmary first?”

“No need to waste medical resources—”

The auditorium suddenly fell into a faint commotion; Cheng Si paused mid-sentence as he saw a flawless figure stand under the spotlight on the stage, preparing to start the freshman speech.

He whispered: “Talk later.”

He then sat up straight, staring intently at the stage.

Jiang Shuo tactfully went quiet.

He sighed inwardly.

Sometimes he really didn’t understand his friend.

If you said he loved studying and respected teachers, he either arrived late, skipped class, or slept during lessons, often making the homeroom teacher furious.

If you called him a rebellious bottom-tier student, he never missed a single important school ceremony; even if he just finished a one-on-three fight and was covered in bruises, he would show up without fail, listening more intently than anyone when the student representative spoke.

He was a total contradiction.

“The student representative is actually still Wen Xi this year.” A moment later, Jiang Shuo watched the girl calmly step off the stage after her speech and clicked his tongue. “Well, the ‘inaccessible flower’ of our international school really lives up to her reputation. Every year, she leads the ‘Most Popular Omega’ forum poll by a landslide. After this speech, Wen Xi’s circle of admirers is going to grow even larger.”

Hearing this, Cheng Si glanced at him: “Are you rapping?”

Jiang Shuo: “…”

Is my rhyming bothering you?

After the ceremony ended, the group walked toward the classrooms.

“By the way, Old Jin said a new student is coming to our class today,” Jiang Shuo said excitedly, his eyes looking a bit cynical. “I heard they transferred from another class and they’re an Omega. Transferring in senior year is quite rare.”

Old Jin was their homeroom teacher, Jin Ping; because he wasn’t very formal, everyone affectionately called him Old Jin.

Nanjiang International High School was different from ordinary high schools; it was a four-year system using an elite teaching model with only 5,000 students total. The curriculum skipped basic difficulty entirely, starting at advanced levels; since its founding, the graduation rate was 100%, producing top talents for the Alliance every year.

Consequently, every student was either exceptionally gifted or from a prominent family; many were both.

As a student who dominated the rankings in 90% of the subjects, Wen Xi was the most typical representative.

“Whoever comes has nothing to do with me.”

As usual, Cheng Si showed no interest, his heavy eyelids drooping as if he might pass away the next second.

Jiang Shuo: “…”

Looking at his friend’s sleepy, “don’t mess with me” delinquent face, Jiang Shuo sighed in his heart.

Cheng Si’s grades were actually quite good in freshman year—after all, he had entered as a specially recruited student—but then his family suffered a major tragedy. The focus of his life shifted; studying was no longer his primary goal, making money was.

Between “exceptional talent” and “prominent family,” he could barely claim one—

Who said being exceptionally poor didn’t count as exceptional?

The main reason Cheng Si hadn’t been expelled yet was that he hadn’t differentiated yet; as long as he could differentiate into a high-level Alpha or Omega, he would meet the talent requirement and could stay at the school by exception.

And the probability of Cheng Si differentiating into a premium Alpha was as high as 70%.

Back in the classroom, the moment Cheng Si’s head touched the desk, he fell into a peaceful sleep.

Jiang Shuo: “…”

Seriously, bro, if you’re this tired, why even come to school?

Jiang Shuo shook his head and went to the restroom for a smoke before class started.

Before the bell rang, Jin Ping’s cheerful voice came from the classroom door: “Listen up, everyone. We have a new student joining our class today. Wen Xi. I’m sure you’re not unfamiliar with her name; you can usually see it at the very top of the honor roll.”

As soon as Jin Ping announced the news, Class 7 exploded into a frenzy, everyone turning to look at the door.

No one expected the transfer student to be Wen Xi!

“It’s Wen Xi! I voted for her in the ‘Most Popular Omega’ poll!” “Wailing… what did I do to deserve being her classmate in this lifetime!” “Aaaah! I’ve been struck by Wen Xi’s charm again today! I’m going crazy!”

The hearts of most Alphas in the class were filled with invisible shock.

Everyone knew how prominent the Wen family was in Nanjiang; even the school had investments from them. Which Alphas were brave enough to say such things? Were they tired of living?

However, looking around, they realized that the people swooning over Wen Xi were actually all Omegas.

Alphas: “???”

Does Wen Xi’s Omega fan club have this many people!

“Quiet, quiet,” Jin Ping quickly called for order. “Who wants to help the new student move her books and supplies?”

Many Alphas raised their hands, unwilling to be outdone.

Jin Ping pointed to one of them: “Zhao Jie, go help her.”

Turning to Wen Xi outside the classroom, his tone softened: “Come in. The teaching staff has a short meeting to attend. Pick a seat for yourself; as long as you get the consent of the students around you, you can sit anywhere.”

“Okay, teacher.”

Wen Xi stood in the shifting light and shadow, wearing a perfect, slight smile.

Her hair was long and curly, draped over her slender back like swaying algae; her thin bangs made her face look exceptionally small. Her pupils were very dark, yet her irises had a hint of grey, like two glass beads covered in dust that even the summer sun couldn’t penetrate—haughty and distant.

As a result, even though she was smiling, that smile carried an inviolable, cold, and abstinent vibe.

She inexplicably felt like an Alpha who could attract both Alphas and Omegas.

Outside the classroom, Zhao Jie swallowed hard and walked to Wen Xi’s side, taking the organized storage box from her former classmates. He said eagerly in a softened voice: “Hello, my name is Zhao Jie. Where are you planning to sit?”

Wen Xi looked around and saw that the second-to-last seat by the window was empty: “Are those two seats taken?”

Zhao Jie: “The inner seat belongs to Lu Yinzhi. Although he’s on a temporary leave of absence, the teacher kept his seat for him.”

“Okay, I’ll sit next to him then,” Wen Xi said.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jie’s expression changed: “Don’t.”

“Why?”

“It’s Lu Yinzhi. He’s hard to get along with. He relies on his family’s wealth and power—you know, a school bully?” Zhao Jie’s tone was full of sarcasm. “And the seat behind where you chose… there, the one with the buzz cut sleeping face-down. He’s very violent and often bullies others. To be honest, he’s just a dog by Lu Yinzhi’s side, biting anyone he can. Almost no one in our class gets along with him.”

“Is that so,” Wen Xi smiled. “But what if I want to sit there anyway?”

Zhao Jie: “…”

Wen Xi didn’t look at him, heading straight for the second-to-last row by the window.

Having no choice, Zhao Jie gritted his teeth and followed with the box. If any other Omega had ignored him, he would have thrown the things down and left, but he truly couldn’t afford to offend Wen Xi.

Even in a place like the International High School, very few people dared to gossip about the Wen family. Everyone knew they were prominent, but few knew exactly how prominent.

There were boundaries between social circles, and while investigating backgrounds was a standard procedure for them, the Wen family was different. Aside from the “hundred-billion-dollar fortune” of the current head of the family—Wen Xi’s second brother, Xu Linshen—no other information could be found.

But those in the know understood that the unknown was the most dangerous.

Zhao Jie watched as Wen Xi walked to Cheng Si’s desk and extended a pale finger, tapping lightly on the surface: “Classmate.”

Wen Xi called out, intending to ask for his consent as Jin Ping suggested.

However, after waiting several seconds, the person lying there didn’t react at all.

Wen Xi had to raise her voice and call again, but she still couldn’t wake him.

Zhao Jie couldn’t stand it anymore. He put down the storage box and slammed his palm onto Cheng Si’s desk: “She’s talking to you, wake up already!”

At such a loud noise, the person finally moved his shoulders. He restrained himself and rubbed his ear, still not looking up, his sleepy voice laced with unavoidable hostility: “Don’t. F*ckingly. Bother. Me.”

Being snapped at like that, Zhao Jie lost face and immediately sneered with a red face: “F*ck, you’re sleeping so deeply, did you go out stealing electric bike batteries last night?”

As soon as he said this, the class burst into laughter.

After all, Cheng Si’s poverty was not a secret in this class.

Only Wen Xi’s expression remained calm. She stared at the back of Cheng Si’s rebellious buzz cut and quietly rubbed her fingers together.

This voice.

It felt strangely familiar.

Like the puppy that had once appeared in her life and then suddenly vanished.

“It’s an honor for her to sit in front of you. You think you’re actually someone important just because she asked your opinion?” Zhao Jie grew more agitated. “Calling you Lu Yinzhi’s dog is a compliment. If it weren’t for Lu Yinzhi protecting you, what the f*ck would you be?”

The words she had ignored the first time.

Started to sound foul the second time she heard them.

Wen Xi mentally chewed on the phrase “Lu Yinzhi’s dog,” her eyes lowering as her mood suddenly turned sour.

Cheng Si was likely used to such comments. He still didn’t look up and had no intention of responding. Instead, showing even less respect, he extended a long leg from under the desk and violently kicked the chair in front of him.

Under the fierce impact, the chair slammed into the edge of the desk, actually knocking the entire desk over.

Wen Xi’s belongings in the storage box scattered all over the floor.

The noisy classroom suddenly went silent.

Every student held their breath, looking at the scene with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Did Cheng Si have any idea what he had just done!

They had a feeling—

Cheng Si’s arrogance had reached its end.

Sure enough.

The corners of Wen Xi’s mouth dipped slightly into a half-smile. Even though her upbringing prevented her from throwing a fit, there was a faint, hair-raising intensity about her.

She spoke slowly, as if testing him: “What a temper.”

It was unknown which nerve this sentence struck, but the delinquent who believed “even the Earth exploding shouldn’t interrupt my sleep” suddenly tightened his shoulder muscles. A moment later, he raised his head, his face—covered in sleep marks and bruises—swirling with a rare sense of bewilderment and shock.

Their eyes met.

Their gazes were like entangled electronic waves, creating a suffocating sense of exclusion for everyone else.

“Do you know me?” Wen Xi asked inexplicably.

Cheng Si struggled to shift his gaze away, staring silently at the mess on the floor. His Adam’s apple bobbed repeatedly, his face flushing red before he finally managed to squeeze out a guilty reply: “In this school, it’s hard not to know you.”

Hearing this, Wen Xi’s hidden canine tooth ground slightly.

“You know me and you still have such a temper?” Wen Xi’s lips curved into a faint smile, her cool voice sounding slightly mocking. “Are you tired of living?”