FSO Chapter 10

As soon as Jiang Wan joined the group chat, his classmates greeted him enthusiastically.

Time Heals All Scars: Throwing flowers, welcome the new student!

I’m Handsome, It’s a Crime: Finally, you’re here. Good thing I didn’t give up!

Fu Hua Has Kids: [New member, post a photo.jpg]

…

Jiang Wan looked around. The classroom was filled with the sound of his classmates studying diligently.

Then he looked back down, and the group chat exploded with messages.

Big Bird Cutie: I’m here, I’m here~ Is the newbie the cute new transfer student?

Time Heals All Scars: That’s right! Everyone, be gentle with our little cutie so we don’t scare them off!

I’m Handsome, It’s a Crime: The tree longs for its branches, but my love for you is unknown.

Fu Hua Has Kids: [Creepy smile intensifies.jpg]

I’m Handsome, It’s a Crime: In the crowd, I search for him a thousand times. Suddenly, I turn around, and there he is, in the dim light.

Silver King: Zhou Kui, stop quoting poetry. You lost from the start.

Big Bird Cutie: Even I wouldn’t like a horny Alpha.

Silver King: Plus, Dou Ming is way better-looking than Zhou Kui.

Fu Hua Has Kids: Doesn’t Kui-ge care about his pride?

Silver King: How about we kick him out and talk more?

…

Zhou Kui sat quietly, sulking.

Jiang Wan opened the group member list and quickly found Dou Ming’s QQ.

It was easy because his nickname was simply “Dou Ming.”

Simple, straightforward—Jiang Wan liked it.

He immediately sent a friend request: Hi, I’m Jiang Wan~

And then… an eternity passed. Dou Ming’s profile picture remained grayed out, with no response.

Jiang Wan could understand, though. The guy was seriously into his morning reading, no rush.

So, he patiently waited for the next break.

Morning reading soon ended, and Jiang Wan glanced at Dou Ming out of the corner of his eye.

Dou Ming stood up!

Dou Ming went to get water!

Dou Ming came back!

…

Dou Ming took out his textbook for the first class and began preparing!

Jiang Wan never saw him take out his phone once.

“…” Jiang Wan thought for a moment. It made sense. As the top student in their grade, Dou Ming was truly focused. Surely, he would check his phone during lunch. No rush, no rush.

The morning classes went by quickly. The moment the bell rang, Jiang Wan immediately turned to look at Dou Ming.

Dou Ming stood up!

Jiang Wan blinked, expecting Dou Ming to pull out his phone.

But then… Dou Ming was gone.

Jiang Wan rubbed his eyes, checking again. In the blink of an eye, the Alpha had disappeared.

Zhou Kui stared at Jiang Wan longingly. It seemed clear that, in the Omega’s eyes, Zhou Kui did not exist.

Jiang Wan, suddenly alert, remembered how even the most awkward situations hadn’t scared Zhou Kui away yesterday. He quickly linked arms with his deskmate and, all warm and affectionate, asked, “Want to have lunch together?”

The scent of Omega pheromones hit the air. His deskmate, caught off guard, was flattered. “I usually eat with my group. Want to join us?”

Two Beta boys approached. “Come on, Wu Qian, if we’re late, all the good food will be gone.”

Jiang Wan thoughtfully nodded. So my deskmate’s name is Wu Qian.

Wu Qian: “…” That expression is a dead giveaway. You just now figured out my name, didn’t you? How rude.

Seeing Jiang Wan’s confusion, Wu Qian took the initiative to introduce his friends. “This is Xu Wansi, and this is Tan Jun.”

Jiang Wan nodded. Xu Wansi had long hair, and Tan Jun had single eyelids—both were easy to remember.

The four of them headed to the cafeteria, chatting along the way. Xu Wansi introduced himself. “I’m Big Bird Cutie in the group chat.”

Tan Jun added, “I’m Silver King.”

Jiang Wan glanced at Xu Wansi, then down at his pants…

Xu Wansi cleared his throat. “The ‘Big Bird’ part is real, but the ‘Cutie’ part is fake.”

“…” Jiang Wan replied, “Understood.”

Everyone stared at Jiang Wan in shock, as if he’d just said something incredibly outrageous.

Jiang Wan: Oops, I broke character.

But keeping up this innocent act was exhausting.

With Dou Ming nowhere nearby, Jiang Wan decided to let himself go. “Do you guys know why I got hurt yesterday?”

Everyone shook their heads.

Jiang Wan dropped a bombshell. “Because my junk hit a roadblock, and I passed out from the pain.”

His deskmate: “…”

Xu Wansi: “…”

Tan Jun: “…”

The three boys stared at him for a moment, thinking that maybe, just maybe, Jiang Wan really did see them as friends to be that candid.

So pure, so genuine, they thought, looking at the Omega’s pretty face.

Wu Qian winced sympathetically. “That’s rough. Are you feeling better now? That group of Omega still wants to cause trouble with you.”

“Let them come.” Jiang Wan replied, unbothered. What could a bunch of high schoolers possibly do to me?

As they lined up in the cafeteria, Wu Qian couldn’t help but pull out his phone to check the school forum.

He claimed it was to gather intel.

Dou Ming, though quiet and low-key in class, had always been seen as just another classmate. Even though he was handsome, smart, and often referred to as [the light of Class 2] no one thought he was anything special.

But now that the forum was abuzz with “Dou Ming and the new transfer student falling in love at first sight.” the Beta students were suddenly waking up to the fact that not all Alphas were the same. Dou Ming was surprisingly popular with Omegas.

During lunch, Wu Qian scrolled through post after post, loudly sharing his findings, dropping expletives left and right.

“Holy crap, they made an entire forum just for Dou Ming.”

“‘Snow on Changbai Mountain, a lone pine on the cliff. He’s cold, he’s noble, he’s the lighthouse, the hope, the stars, the sea, the universe, the distant future’… basically, he’s not even human anymore.”

“Holy crap, they even gave him a nickname—‘Snow God’… Pfft.”

“Geez, these Omegas are really going wild online. Here, listen to this: ‘Snow God smiles, and spring flows across the land,’ ‘My glands are starving,’ ‘Willing to pay any price, just give me Dou Ming from Class 2.’”

Xu Wansi: “…”

Tan Jun: “…”

The two boys furiously tried to give Wu Qian a signal to stop talking, so as not to make their new friend uncomfortable.

Even though both Jiang Wan and Dou Ming had explained that what happened yesterday was just an accident, one was an Omega and the other an Alpha. Even if there wasn’t love at first sight, after that embrace, there was surely something now, right?

Finally, Wu Qian noticed the awkward atmosphere and began to quiet down.

But Jiang Wan, curious as ever, asked, “What else did they say?”

Wu Qian: “You’re not mad?”

Jiang Wan shook his head. “I’m just learning from them. They’ve got a way with words.”

Tan Jun suddenly realized. “So, you want to chase Dou Ming too?”

Jiang Wan raised a hand, gesturing for them to keep it down. “Let’s not make a big deal out of it.”

Tan Jun: “…”

Wu Qian: “…”

Xu Wansi asked, puzzled, “Let me ask you something—does Dou Ming’s pheromones really smell that good?”

“They’re alright.” Jiang Wan touched his chin modestly. He didn’t mention that the first night he’d smelled Dou Ming’s pheromones, he’d had… dreams all night.

Dreams of rolling in a snowy field, tangling together in a haze of heat, everything melting away in the moonlight and the cool mountain breeze.

Wu Qian, still looking at his phone, said, “If you really like Dou Ming, you better hurry up.”

Tan Jun, more anxious than Jiang Wan, asked, “What’s going on? Is there an Omega trying to make a move?”

“That’s right.” Wu Qian said, spinning his phone to show the others. “The forum’s live-streaming. Our school’s beauty, Che Chenying from the special class, just cornered Dou Ming at the cafeteria entrance.”

No sooner had he said this than a chorus of “Ohhhhhhh!” came from the cafeteria entrance.

Tan Jun’s face turned grim. “You mean Che Chenying, the three-time school beauty champion with more suitors than can circle Haicheng three times, whose dad is supposedly the second-biggest shot in Haicheng? That Che Chenying?”

Xu Wansi added, “The same Che Chenying who plays Alphas like pawns, has broken up 33 AO couples, and is known as the ‘Alpha Killer?’”

Wu Qian nodded gravely. “It’s him. It’s definitely him.”

The three boys all turned to look at Jiang Wan. That’s your competition. Got it?

Jiang Wan was busy typing on his phone.

Wu Qian, exasperated, shared a look with Xu Wansi. Without a word, the two flanked Jiang Wan and lifted him up.

Jiang Wan: “?”

Wu Qian and Xu Wansi hauled Jiang Wan toward the cafeteria entrance, while Tan Jun quickly gathered their trays and followed behind.

Jiang Wan, limp like a ragdoll, let himself be dragged along, still clutching his phone, brimming with confidence.

His friends, however, were like frantic eunuchs at an emperor’s side, fretting as they debated, “Dou Ming’s not the type to care only about looks. We still have a chance.”

“Not sure, though… It’s Che Chenying.”

“I think Jiang Wan’s better looking than Che Chenying.”

“But these days, people don’t go for our Wan Wan’s innocent, flower-like beauty. Main characters in novels are all like Che Chenying—rich and glamorous, you know?”

“Yeah, can’t argue with that.”

They dragged Jiang Wan to the cafeteria, squeezed through the crowd, and found themselves watching the two male leads at the center of the drama.

On the left was Che Chenying, the school beauty, with an oval face, phoenix eyes, snow-white skin, and a tall, elegant figure. His presence screamed “gorgeous.”

On the right was Dou Ming, Class 2’s shining star. As the forum put it, “snow on Changbai Mountain, a lone pine on the cliff… cold, noble, a lighthouse, a hope, stars, the sea, the universe, the distant future.”

In short, they looked… well-matched.

Wu Qian glanced at Jiang Wan, then at Che Chenying, and sighed. “Sigh.”

Xu Wansi looked at Jiang Wan, then at Che Chenying, and sighed twice. “Sigh, sigh.”

Tan Jun looked at Jiang Wan, then at Che Chenying, and sighed countless times. “Sigh, sigh, sigh…”

Jiang Wan pulled out a small mirror, looked at himself, then glanced at Che Chenying, and nodded. “Looks like I’m about to dethrone the school beauty. Feels a bit awkward since I just transferred.”

Wu Qian: “…”

Xu Wansi: “…”

Tan Jun: “…”

Your confidence really knows no bounds.

The three boys turned back to continue watching the live-action drama unfold.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Jiang Wan pulled out a wet wipe, carefully wiping away any grease left on his mouth from lunch. Then, he grabbed another one, meticulously cleaning his hands, arms, and neck.

He really didn’t want to be caught in this crowd. Who knew how much saliva and germs were floating around?

Jiang Wan, carefully grooming himself, looked no different from a fat orange cat cleaning its fur in the corner. He hadn’t noticed the drama was already escalating.

Che Chenying’s phoenix eyes lifted in amusement, a teasing smile playing on his lips as he approached Dou Ming, a group of friends trailing behind. His eyes sparkled as he asked, “How about being my boyfriend?”

Dou Ming was just about to respond when his phone buzzed repeatedly. He answered it, and with his Alpha’s sharp memory, immediately recognized the voice on the other end. It was Gang Ya from yesterday at the café. “Don’t forget whose you are.”

The call ended abruptly. Dou Ming put his phone away, scanning the crowd. There were too many people; he couldn’t spot Gang Ya. Typical of Da Jiang-ge’s right-hand man—he really knew how to stay under the radar.

Dou Ming hadn’t intended to agree to Che Chenying’s absurd proposal in the first place. But now, reminded by Gang Ya of the contract he’d signed, he didn’t feel offended by any Alpha pride or think “Never look down on the poor youth.” Instead, he seriously considered how to use this call to his advantage, to gather more information, and secure more useful intel.

Of course, he didn’t forget to casually reject the Omega in front of him. “No.”

With those three simple words, he lifted his long legs and made to leave.

Che Chenying: “…”

Wasn’t he supposed to be embarrassed or flustered as a teenage boy? Shouldn’t this baby Alpha be turning red and stammering?

Unless… he wasn’t a baby Alpha anymore.

Che Chenying’s sharp gaze swept the crowd, and his eyes zeroed in on Jiang Wan.

Jiang Wan wasn’t short, but standing next to the 1.8-meter-tall Che Chenying, he looked small. With his petite frame, Che Chenying easily lifted him up by his collar.

Jiang Wan, in the middle of cleaning himself: “?”

Che Chenying hoisted Jiang Wan and called out to Dou Ming, “Are you rejecting me because you already have an Omega?”

Dou Ming continued walking away.

Che Chenying shook the lightweight Jiang Wan in his grasp and threatened, “Your Omega’s right here in my hands. Are you really going to just walk away?”

Jiang Wan, floating in midair: “??”

Dou Ming paused mid-step and turned around, standing backlit by the light. His face was cast in shadow, making it impossible to read his expression.

“I do have an Omega.” he said, glancing at Jiang Wan before continuing in a tone no one believed, “but it’s not him.”

“Oh?” Che Chenying raised a brow, drawing closer to Jiang Wan. The scent of rich rose pheromones filled the air. “He says it’s not you, so you’re useless to me.”

Jiang Wan leaned back tactically, successfully dodging Che Chenying’s too-close-for-comfort move. He almost spat on me! Ew, ew, ew!

His cleanliness obsession was about to go off the rails.

In a panic, eyes watering from distress, Jiang Wan stammered, “I really don’t have anything to do with Dou Ming.” He choked, then shot a pleading look at Dou Ming. Come save me, man! What if this guy hasn’t washed his hands after going to the bathroom? What if he’s got all sorts of germs on him? Help!

From his hiding spot in the corner, Gang Ya watched the scene unfold, and fell into deep philosophical contemplation.

Who’s cheating on who here?

Am I the one who cheated on myself?

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