Chapter 17: CLUB

The hallway was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

Cheng Si remained silent for a while before saying dully, “Getting into fights and getting injured is normal. I’m fine.”

Subconsciously, he didn’t want to drag Wen Xi into this mess. Especially since Qin Qizhen was extremely vindictive; if Xu Linshen found out about this the way he found out about Zhao Jie, Wen Xi would likely be put in a very difficult position.

The boy’s back was slightly hunched, completely unlike his usual upright posture. His tall stature made that slight curve seem particularly lonely.

To Wen Xi, this meant he had no intention of communicating honestly.

She let out a cold laugh. The last trace of warmth vanished from her face as she turned and walked back into the classroom.

Cheng Si panicked instantly. He tried to chase after her with his limp, but Jin Ping grabbed his arm, scolding him: “What’s the rush! Fighting again? How many fights have you been in since you started school?! Cheng Si… are you here to study, or are you here to be a delinquent?”

Cheng Si had no choice but to stop and apologize to Jin Ping: “I’m sorry, sir. I’ve caused you trouble.”

“…”

Jin Ping was left speechless by his sudden “submissiveness.” His headache reached its peak.

A few years ago, in order to gain both fame and talent, the principal had opened a special recruitment slot—only one per year. A student could enter regardless of family background or region, with no tuition fees, as long as they had top-tier scores. Most of the time, these slots were still taken by students from good families, but Cheng Si’s scores back then had been so overwhelming that he snatched the crown.

Unfortunately, no one expected that the student who ranked first in the class upon entry would become the bottom-dweller in just two years and face the crisis of expulsion.

Jin Ping felt a surge of frustration in his chest. He waved his hand. “Forget it. Come with me to the infirmary for the pheromone level test first. We’ll talk about the rest later.”

Jin Ping took Cheng Si to the school infirmary.

Seeing this, Jiang Shuo felt very conflicted. He couldn’t approach Cheng Si while Wen Xi was there, but now that he had the chance, he lowered his head and began bombarding Cheng Si’s Star-Chat. He was worried sick.

[Jiang Shuo: Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! What’s the deal? You didn’t tell me you differentiated into an Omega!] [Jiang Shuo: Where’s my brother? My big, tough brother???] [Jiang Shuo: Haven’t seen you in a few days and my brother changed genders! What the hell happened? Was the entry physical report fake?]

Cheng Si, who was outside the infirmary, replied quickly.

[4: I just asked the doctor. She said my results might have been mixed up with another student’s back then.] [4: That’s why it didn’t match the report I had at birth.]

Jiang Shuo was speechless. It was hard to say that Cheng Si hadn’t been treated with bias; if it were any other student with status, such a blunder would never have happened.

[Jiang Shuo: So is your level result out yet?] [4: Not yet. The doctor is preparing for pheromone extraction. It’ll be at least half an hour.]

Jiang Shuo let out a long, anxious sigh. If the level came back low, his brother really would be expelled.

[Jiang Shuo: Hope it’s a good result.] [Jiang Shuo: Also, those injuries? Did Qin Qizhen come for you again? How many people did he bring this time?]

In the past, they’d dealt with being outnumbered; if you couldn’t win, you ran. No one was a fool. But this was the first time Jiang Shuo had seen Cheng Si this badly hurt. If things were out of the ordinary, there had to be a reason.

Sure enough—

[4: He ambushed me with a group. They used stun batons.] [Jiang Shuo: That’s dirty!] [Jiang Shuo: f*ck, what a bastard!]

Jiang Shuo couldn’t help but curse. What a mess.

[Jiang Shuo: Tomorrow is Saturday. Are you still going to your part-time job at the CLUB? Maybe you shouldn’t go anymore.]

Cheng Si was persistent.

[4: I’ll just try to avoid him from now on. I can’t stop earning money just because of him.] [Jiang Shuo: …]

Though Jiang Shuo’s family was well-off, he had been raised “poor.” Aside from necessities, his family didn’t give him much pocket money, let alone help him deal with someone like Qin Qizhen. Most of the time, he could only stand by Cheng Si’s side when he fought.

Clearly, if Cheng Si stayed at Club 24, he would run into Qin Qizhen again. It was one thing when he was undifferentiated, but now he was an Omega. People like Qin Qizhen had far too many ways to deal with an Omega.

Furthermore, Club 24’s security had no precedent for using Omegas. In a conflict, it was hard for an Omega to hold their own against an Alpha’s pheromones. This meant he had basically lost his job as a bouncer.

But if he didn’t plan on quitting, what would he do at the CLUB if not security? Jiang Shuo didn’t dare think too deeply.

[Jiang Shuo: I feel like this has gone beyond what we can solve. What are your plans for the future?]

After typing this, the reply came.

[4: I don’t know.]

After finishing the test, Cheng Si sat on the bench. He had almost no expectations for life; his only hope came from Wen Xi, and even that was just a tiny, fragile spark.

He thought, what’s the big deal? So he was an Omega. So he got beaten up. So he lost his job. So… he wasn’t chosen by Wen Xi. Even though it was hard to accept in the moment, he forced himself to swallow it all.

As for the future, he truly didn’t know.

His phone vibrated again. It was Jiang Shuo.

[Jiang Shuo: Wen Xi seems really angry.] [Jiang Shuo: Aren’t you going to go coax her?]

At a glance, Cheng Si thought he had misread the message. Alarm bells rang in his head.

How did Jiang Shuo notice Wen Xi was angry? Didn’t he say he didn’t have feelings for her anymore? When did he become so attuned to her?

[4: What do you mean?]

But right after he sent it, the message from the other side was retracted, and there was no further reply. If he weren’t waiting for the test results, he would have charged back to the classroom to demand answers from Jiang Shuo.

Cheng Si dazed off, those words echoing in his mind. His heart was in a shambles. After thinking it over, he tapped on the only pinned contact in his Star-Chat. His long fingers curled slightly.

[4: Are you there?]

Wen Xi replied almost instantly.

[?: ?]

[4: I’m sorry.]

[?: Why are you apologizing?] [4: I… made you angry.] [?: And?]

And…

Cheng Si thought of Jiang Shuo’s “Aren’t you going to go coax her?” and pressed his lips into a line. His scabbed fingertips were itchy; he wanted to scratch them, but he was afraid of ripping off the scabs and exposing the bleeding flesh.

But if that was the only way to make Wen Xi happy, he didn’t mind reopening the wounds.

[4: I wasn’t avoiding you.] [4: I just didn’t want you to see the injuries on my face… they aren’t good to look at.] [4: I didn’t mean to ignore your questions.] [4: I was afraid of causing you trouble.] [4: Because I offended someone at the CLUB where I work, and they’re hard to deal with.]

Wen Xi was silent for a few seconds.

[?: Aren’t you close with Lu Yinzhi?] [?: Doesn’t your good friend plan to help you with this trouble?]

[4: He did help.] Lu Yinzhi wasn’t at school, but he was friends with the CLUB owner. Because of that, Qin Qizhen didn’t dare harass him inside the CLUB. Cheng Si was always grateful to Lu Yinzhi.

On the other end, Wen Xi stared at the words “He did help” and interpreted them differently. She frowned. How much trouble did he get into that even Lu Yinzhi couldn’t resolve it?

While she was thinking, more messages from Cheng Si popped up.

[4: I promise, I’ll reply to every one of your messages from now on. I’ll answer every question you have.] [4: Wen Xi, can you… please stop being angry?]

After waiting thirty seconds with no response, Cheng Si got anxious and tried his best to “coax” her.

[4: If you’re still upset, you can punish me.] [4: I’m thick-skinned anyway.]

This time Wen Xi finally replied, but she sounded disinterested and cold.

[?: You still don’t seem to understand one thing.] [?: With me, punishing a puppy is just like playing with a puppy. I never need a reason.]

Finally, Wen Xi sent a voice message. Cheng Si checked his surroundings to make sure no one was there before holding the phone to his ear. He heard Wen Xi—who sounded like she had stepped into a corner—her cold voice carrying a hint of amusement: “Let me punish you? What kind of punishment is that for you? It’s more like a reward, isn’t it?”

“…………”

She had pierced right through him.

Cheng Si couldn’t help but rub his reddened ears in embarrassment and shame, swearing a soft curse under his breath. But because of that, he realized Wen Xi wasn’t angry with him anymore.

“Since you’re injured, go back and rest properly,” Wen Xi added.

Cheng Si replied: “Still waiting for the pheromone level results.”

“No need to wait,” Wen Xi said calmly. “Your level is very high. You won’t be expelled.”

Cheng Si was stunned. “How do you know?”

On the other end, Wen Xi’s brow arched slightly, her eyes filled with an innate nobility. She said: “I just know.”

Pheromones that can make me lose my focus clearly have a high compatibility—something only a high-level Omega could achieve.

Meanwhile, in the classroom, Jiang Shuo got his phone back from Wen Xi. He saw two retracted messages in his chat with Cheng Si.

Earlier, Wen Xi had suddenly turned around and asked who he was chatting with, since his phone was vibrating so much. He thought he was bothering her and apologized, explaining that Cheng Si’s situation was urgent. Wen Xi’s gaze had turned cold, and she asked to borrow his phone to send two sentences to Cheng Si. He had no reason to refuse. After all, they knew each other; it was normal to show concern for an old acquaintance who was so badly hurt.

Who knew she would retract them immediately? Right after that, her own phone started vibrating.

Just as Jiang Shuo was feeling confused, he noticed Wen Xi—who had looked completely unapproachable moments ago—had a slight curve at the corners of her mouth.

Jiang Shuo: “…”

Such a fast change of face. Is your ancestral home in Sichuan? (A reference to “Face-Changing” in Sichuan Opera).

On Saturday, Luo Wanran drove her flashy supercar with Wen Xi toward Club 24. Usually, Wen Xi didn’t have much free time on weekends—either she was in prep classes, busy at home, or being monopolized by Xu Linshen. This week, she had specifically cleared her schedule.

“Animal theme party, high-end players welcome…”

Luo Wanran glanced at the slogan on the CLUB poster. She found Wen Xi’s desire to go to such a place refreshing. “I thought you weren’t interested in this stuff. You never came when I invited you before.”

“I didn’t know the CLUB could be played like this,” Wen Xi said.

“You certainly know how to pick a place,” Luo Wanran winked suggestively. “I’ve heard of this place; they say they have a lot of tricks. I’ve always wanted to go but never made it.”

Wen Xi gave an ambiguous laugh. “Then isn’t this perfect.”

…

At 11:00 PM, the two arrived at the entrance of Club 24. The club was located in a quiet spot within a busy district, decorated with a classical flair. A waiter wearing a mask was waiting at the door, his body acting as a display rack for various masks for guests to choose from.

Luo Wanran excitedly picked a fox mask and asked Wen Xi what she wanted. Wen Xi’s gaze swept across the animal masks and stopped at an abstract human face mask at the very end.

The waiter, very observant, explained: “The lady has good taste. Though tonight is an animal theme, it’s no fun with only animals. Are you interested in being a ‘Hunter’?”

Wen Xi’s lips curled slightly. Without answering, she took the Hunter mask and put it on.

They followed the waiter inside. The event had already begun; dark red lights swayed, and the music was deafening. The first floor was a themed bar, and the upper floors were stylized private booths. Likely due to the theme, most people chose to stay in the bar.

Luo Wanran pulled Wen Xi to a reserved booth, and the waiter opened a few bottles of alcohol. Dry ice sprayed, and the “atmosphere crew” got to work. People on the dance floor were dancing provocatively. Everyone’s masks were half-face style, leaving the mouth exposed for easy kissing and marking. Some had brought their own ears and tails, which quivered suggestively as they moved.

Luo Wanran loved the excitement and couldn’t sit still for long. Wen Xi looked around and saw a familiar back at the bar counter nearby. She said considerately, “Go have fun. You don’t need to stay with me. Just stay safe.”

“Worry about yourself, dressed like that—”

Luo Wanran looked over Wen Xi’s “pure-lust” JK uniform. Her wavy hair was tied in a ponytail with a bow, paired with that contrasting, eerie Hunter mask. “You’re 100% going to slay every Alpha in the room, okay!”

Wen Xi smiled slightly. “Get lost.”

Luo Wanran laughed and “got lost.”

Though Luo Wanran had exaggerated, it was true that many people approached her to strike up a conversation. Wen Xi rejected them one by one.

Until the sofa beside her suddenly sank. Someone sat down next to her quite rudely.

“Hey sister, why drinking alone?”

The newcomer was a male Alpha, also wearing a Hunter mask. His smile lines were loose and deep, and his orange floral shirt was unbuttoned to his chest. He was clearly a nightclub veteran.

Wen Xi lifted her eyelids to look at him but said nothing.

The man didn’t mind her coldness. He grinned thuggishly. Though the girl didn’t seem nervous, he could tell at a glance that it was her first time in a place like this—just sitting there quietly, she looked out of place. The half of her face that was visible was far too “clean.”

“Let’s be friends?” the man said oilily. “If you’re bored alone, how about I join you?”

Wen Xi moved aside subtly. In her peripheral vision, she saw the figure at the bar walking quickly toward them.

Cheng Si was also wearing a mask tonight—a Doberman style. Likely the CLUB’s uniform for the night, he wore a branded jacket. The erotic collar on his neck was also black. The leash she had once seen on a model was wrapped around his wrist, making him look untamably sexy.

Wen Xi let out a “tsk,” her thumb pressing against her knuckle with a crack.

“Hello, this is the fruit platter and drinks provided for reaching the minimum spend.” Cheng Si placed the items on the tray in front of Wen Xi, subtly pushing the floral-shirt man aside. “You’re not supposed to be at this booth. Please move.”

Hearing his voice, the man’s tone sharpened: “Cheng Si???”

Cheng Si also recognized him instantly, shock appearing on his face. He truly hadn’t expected his luck to be this bad—running straight into Qin Qizhen.

Qin Qizhen’s tone turned dark. “Good. I was looking for you for ages earlier. Didn’t think you’d deliver yourself to my door. Didn’t get enough last time? Are your wounds healed, or are you here to cut in on me again? Want to see the video of what a coward you were to refresh your memory?”

He made a gesture toward the diagonal front. Several subordinates, dressed just as loudly as him, walked over quickly. This time, they weren’t Betas—they were all Alphas.

Cheng Si stood in front of Wen Xi with a grim expression, warning in a low voice: “You dare cause trouble in the shop?”

“I don’t want to, but aren’t you forcing me?” Qin Qizhen laughed loosely, nodding toward Wen Xi. “I’m just making friends with this sister here. You’re the one who had to interfere. Is it my fault?”

Cold sweat broke out on Cheng Si’s forehead. He knew there was no avoiding it today. He gave Wen Xi a reassuring look and said calmly to Qin Qizhen: “Let’s settle private grudges outside. There’s an abandoned factory just past the back door.”

“Finally realized you need to kneel and apologize?” Qin Qizhen smirked. “Fine. At least you’re smart.”

Qin Qizhen and his men stood up first. Cheng Si followed behind them.

“Did I say you could leave?” Wen Xi’s voice rang out, neither loud nor soft.

Cheng Si stopped in his tracks and looked back at her. He didn’t know why Wen Xi was here tonight, but if possible, he really didn’t want to involve her. He had asked around tonight and learned that Qin Qizhen’s background was a tangled web of power—that was why he could act so shamelessly. No one dared to cross him. Only Cheng Si had walked into the line of fire and was being hounded relentlessly.

“I’m going out to settle some private business,” Cheng Si walked back to her side. After thinking it over, he whispered: “It’s a mixed crowd here. Don’t drink with strangers. Not everyone is a good person. If you need anything, go to the bar and find a bartender.”

Wen Xi was noncommittal, finding it amusing. Even now, you’re worried about me meeting bad people in a nightclub? Have you never considered that I might not be a ‘good person’ either?

“Then… have fun. I’m going…”

Seeing her silence, Cheng Si’s expression was awkward. Just as he was about to stand up, the leash on his collar was suddenly yanked. He nearly fell onto Wen Xi, barely catching himself by bracing his hands on the sofa.

Because of this, their faces were pulled extremely close. Their eyes met.

“What’s the rush?”

Wen Xi wrapped the chain around her hand, using some force to pull him closer. Then, looking into his shrinking pupils, her lips curled into a slight sneer: “I thought you were in big trouble… this is it? A low-level clown show.”

Just then, the music in the dance floor shifted, and the room went silent for two seconds. Her voice, neither loud nor soft, reached Qin Qizhen’s ears with absolute clarity.

Qin Qizhen flew into a rage. He kicked a drink table and moved to slap her. “Motherfucker, you want to die!”

Cheng Si, held by the leash, couldn’t stop him, so he instinctively hugged Wen Xi, shielding her completely in his arms. But the slap never landed.

A young Alpha wearing a fox mask appeared from nowhere, catching Qin Qizhen’s raised arm. He said with a grin: “If you like hitting people so much, how about I help you chop your hands off?”

“Who the f*ck are you?” Qin Qizhen struggled for a while before awkwardly freeing himself. He immediately barked at his men: “I don’t care who you are, none of you are leaving today—”

“No one is leaving.” Wen Xi let go of the chain and slowly stood up. She nodded to the Fox-masked Alpha as a greeting and said calmly: “Everyone should be here now. Let’s go. As Cheng Si said, we’ll settle private grudges outside.”

A large group of people filed out of the CLUB’s back door.

Cheng Si, led by Wen Xi, was dazed. He hadn’t recovered from the sudden turn of events. Especially when he saw several other masked Alphas waiting in the abandoned factory, he was practically frozen. These people who suddenly appeared seemed to know Wen Xi. They shouted in unison: “The Boss is a badass!”

Qin Qizhen, who had been planning how to deal with Cheng Si and this “disrespectful” female Omega, also widened his eyes when he saw the people in the factory. The pheromone confrontation between Alphas was the most direct manifestation of power. He wasn’t wearing a suppression bracelet, so he could clearly feel that these Alphas were all high-level—they completely crushed him.

Realizing this, Qin Qizhen’s face went pale.

“Dear Boss,” the Fox-masked Alpha looked at Wen Xi, speaking casually. “Isn’t this a bit of a waste of talent? Bringing all the brothers out for overtime just to deal with a bunch of low-lifes? It’s the weekend! The weekend!”

Wen Xi was also annoyed. She glanced at the stunned Cheng Si. If she had known the other party was Qin Qizhen, she wouldn’t have made Cheng Si—who was still injured—come to work in this uniform just to wait for the “rabbit to hit the tree.” But since they were here…

“Wait for me here. Don’t come in, okay?”

Wen Xi let go of Cheng Si’s leash. Meeting his gaze, her voice softened a little: “Leave this to me.”

Cheng Si hesitated, his lips parting to say something, but her gaze was so resolute it brooked no argument. He lost the urge to object. He nodded. “Okay.”

…

The two groups walked into the depths of the abandoned factory. Seeing things were going south, Qin Qizhen tried to run, but the Fox-masked Alpha caught him. His other subordinates were even more pathetic, taken down in seconds.

The Fox-masked Alpha tossed him on the ground like a chick. He asked Wen Xi in confusion, “I don’t get it. If you’re standing up for him, why won’t you let him see?”

Wen Xi didn’t care to explain.

What kind of owner is stupid enough to release their malice in front of their puppy? In a puppy’s heart, the owner should always be someone they look up to—pure, stainless, and worthy of their absolute trust. If he accidentally saw her like this, the puppy would be heartbroken and scared.

Wen Xi walked up to the terrified Qin Qizhen. She smiled slightly. “I heard you recorded a video of Cheng Si? What did you record? Let me see.”

Qin Qizhen didn’t know these people at all. But the pressure radiating from Wen Xi made his organs ache. Who knew what a psycho wearing a JK uniform to go “fishing” would do! He couldn’t resist, so he handed over his phone and opened the photo album. “I’ll delete it right now…”

The phone was snatched away.

Wen Xi searched through and found a video with a thumbnail of a dilapidated alleyway amidst a sea of pornographic selfies. She tapped it. The fast-forwarded footage and an oily voice pierced her eyes and ears.

“Prop him up, make him kneel!” “So you want your dignity over your life, huh? I’ll grant you that!” “An Omega?” “If you’d said you were an Omega earlier, I wouldn’t have had to be so violent.” “I’ll let you off easy this time. Next time, I’ll bring a group of Alphas to play with you. No need to thank me.”

…

Wen Xi’s face behind the mask showed no emotion. But as the video reached its final second, she smashed the phone to pieces and delivered a heavy kick that sent Qin Qizhen flying. A scream pierced the air!

Qin Qizhen felt like two of his ribs had snapped. Who could have thought an Omega’s strength could be so terrifying? He nearly knelt down to kowtow to her, his eyes full of fear. “Please, I won’t do it again, let me go…”

“Let you go?” Wen Xi smiled slowly, looking down at him with eyes as cold as bone. “Did you think about letting him go back then?”