The next day, Zhen Ning learned how to use suppressants.
The nurse, a female omega, patiently explained the difference between daily and monthly disposables in terms of usage cycles.
“The discrepancy between predicted differentiation results and actual differentiation is rare, but not impossible.”
She was kind and cautiously reassured him, “Take your time to adjust. Your life is just beginning. You’ll be discharged tomorrow, and your father will be visiting you soon, right?”
The nurse had mistaken Xiong Hao for Zhen Ning’s father, which almost made him laugh.
That evening, Xiong Hao came to see him again.
This time, he didn’t bother with pleasantries and delivered an ultimatum directly.
“You can choose to wait it out,” he said. “Wait until the day some other domestic club lets an omega player on stage. If you can maintain your current level of performance by then, maybe we’ll still consider using you.”
“But for now, it’s not happening. You need to wait.”
Xiong Hao added mercilessly, “Maybe a year, maybe five, maybe never.”
Zhen Ning quietly packed his belongings on the bed without responding.
Xiong Hao’s expression grew increasingly impatient. It had been a long time since he’d encountered someone so unyielding to both soft and hard tactics.
But he knew he still had one trump card to play.
He asked, “Have you considered what impact your continued presence at KYM might have on him?”
“We’ve never been short of players,” Xiong Hao continued. “Everyone fights tooth and nail for a spot. We’ve never needed any one person specifically.”
“If a player’s emotions remain unstable for too long,” he paused meaningfully, “they become a liability… and I believe we’d discard them just the same.”
“I can leave,” Zhen Ning said.
Xiong Hao was taken aback.
“I have my own methods and explanations to ensure that after I leave, he won’t have any conflicts with you.”
Zhen Ning turned to look at Xiong Hao and said, “But you need to give me a promise.”
After leaving the hospital, Zhen Ning didn’t return directly to KYM’s base with Xiong Hao. Instead, he went home.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw Zhen Qing, who hadn’t been home in over half a year, sitting on the sofa.
Zhen Qing was smoking a cigarette, casually discussing work over the phone.
He had no objections to Zhen Ning’s trial at KYM.
He understood that esports was a short-lived career, so he didn’t mind if Zhen Ning chose not to continue his studies. He believed that once Zhen Ning retired, he would inevitably take over the family business.
However, the moment Zhen Qing sensed the change in Zhen Ning’s aura, his expression shifted.
He looked up in shock and immediately hung up the phone. “Why have you already differentiated? Wasn’t it supposed to be later—”
Realizing something, Zhen Qing stopped mid-sentence.
Zhen Ning stared at him, his expression cold.
“My birth prediction report stated I would be an alpha. So why did I end up differentiating into an omega?” Zhen Ning asked.
Zhen Qing remained silent, raising his hand to take a long drag from his cigarette.
Zhen Ning felt his heart sink.
“…Don’t give me some excuse about a one-in-a-thousand error probability.” His voice trembled slightly. “I don’t believe it.”
After a long silence, Zhen Qing exhaled a cloud of smoke.
“Only an alpha child… would have the inheritance rights to her family’s assets,” Zhen Qing said. “So, during the divorce, I used your name to secure some shares and money.”
“That was the capital I needed to start my business—the only way I could do it back then,” he continued.
Zhen Qing rarely spoke about Zhen Ning’s alpha mother.
All Zhen Ning knew was that her family was wealthy and that their marriage had been brief. His mother had left Zhen Qing without hesitation after having an affair with an omega singer.
“I needed the money,” Zhen Qing said. “The house you live in, everything you use, your entire life—it’s all built on the altered birth report I submitted.”
“If I had to do it all over again, I’d make the same choice,” he said.
Zhen Ning and Zhen Qing were remarkably similar in character. Once they made a decision, they weren’t the type to regret it.
Later, Zhen Ning thought that perhaps no one was truly at fault.
Xiong Hao wasn’t entirely wrong. He was simply a ruthless businessman with no bottom line, willing to do whatever it took to achieve his goals. From the club’s perspective, he was an incredibly competent manager. So when Zhen Ning heard about him being recruited by ZC in America, he wasn’t particularly surprised.
Zhen Qing wasn’t wrong either. He had done everything a single omega father could at the time.
Ironically, if Zhen Qing hadn’t altered Zhen Ning’s birth differentiation report, Zhen Ning might never have received the call from KYM inviting him to the trial training.
The next day, Zhen Ning returned to KYM’s base.
Yan Chengfeng sat in the hall, lost in thought. When he saw Zhen Ning enter, he immediately stood up, his mouth slightly open.
At that time, Yan Chengfeng hadn’t differentiated yet, so he couldn’t sense Zhen Ning’s pheromones. But seeing his pale face, he asked, “Zhen Ning, are you… feeling better?”
Zhen Ning nodded. “I’m fine.”
The injury on Yan Chengfeng’s forehead looked worse than it had in the video. Zhen Ning grabbed some antiseptic and treated it for him.
Yan Chengfeng had caused trouble before, but this time, Zhen Ning rarely commented, “Don’t be so immature anymore. If you don’t learn to control your temper, no one will endlessly tolerate you on the field.”
Yan Chengfeng didn’t reply. He just silently stared at Zhen Ning.
“Manager Xiong said more youth trainees are leaving.”
Yan Chengfeng’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he forced a smile, keeping his gaze fixed on Zhen Ning’s face. “They’re all saying it’s you, but… but I don’t believe it.”
He looked at Zhen Ning almost pleadingly.
“Mm, it’s me.”
After a long pause, Yan Chengfeng finally heard Zhen Ning say, “I’m too tired, and I don’t want to wait anymore.”
Yan Chengfeng’s body trembled violently.
His movements were so abrupt that he knocked over the antiseptic bottle next to Zhen Ning. The bottle shattered, spilling its contents, but Zhen Ning just stared at the fragments for a while.
“Yan Chengfeng,” Zhen Ning said, “I’m going to study in the United States.”
…
The final round of fireworks ended, leaving the summer night sky brilliant. The air fell silent.
At the present time, in front of KYM’s lawn, Yan Chengfeng stood with red-rimmed eyes, staring at Zhen Ning’s face.
His mind was blank, his breathing cold and unsteady. He had never imagined that the truth could be like this.
When Zhen Ning decided to leave, Yan Chengfeng had a massive outburst. He broke far more than just that bottle of antiseptic in the base.
Zhen Ning had acted too well, or perhaps Yan Chengfeng had believed him too much. Zhen Ning had skillfully concealed the real reason behind his hospitalization, turning it into a story about being too exhausted from waiting to get to play.
He had spoken with such conviction and calmness that Yan Chengfeng truly believed him.
And he believed it for three years. He harbored a resentful grudge, never understanding why Zhen Ning couldn’t hold on just a little longer.
“Why didn’t you tell me back then? Why would you rather leave me than tell me the truth?”
He clenched his teeth, his voice choked as he said, “If you had just told me, I could have… I really could have…”
But what could he have done back then?
Even as Yan Chengfeng questioned Zhen Ning, he already knew the answer.
If he had known back then that Zhen Ning had been forced out due to his differentiation, he would have confronted Xiong Hao in a rage, argued, made a scene, and recklessly clashed with the higher-ups.
His temper wouldn’t have allowed anyone to say a bad word about Zhen Ning, let alone let something like this happen. But if he had done that, would he have been able to keep playing?
Zhen Ning had chosen to leave while being misunderstood because he knew that, after he left, Yan Chengfeng would need a driving force. Something that wouldn’t let him fall into despair but would instead push him to keep playing.
Zhen Ning had always known Yan Chengfeng too well. So he made all the necessary decisions in advance.
“If back then… I hadn’t gotten into that fight,” Yan Chengfeng murmured, his eyes becoming redder. “If I had learned to control my temper just a little, would Xiong Hao have had no leverage to threaten you? Would you have been able to…”
Zhen Ning shook his head.
He gripped Yan Chengfeng’s trembling hand, gave it a gentle shake, met his eyes, and whispered, “Look at me.”
“I already knew back then that there was no way for me to continue playing,” he said. “And I didn’t want to be a burden to you.”
His tone was gentle and calm, gradually soothing Yan Chengfeng’s turmoil.
“But the decision to leave wasn’t just because of you,” Zhen Ning added.
Yan Chengfeng stared at Zhen Ning’s face, stunned.
“I could have stayed,” Zhen Ning said. “I could have been honest with you back then and stayed at KYM. Just watching you play would have been enough for me.”
“But later, I realized I was too greedy,” he admitted.
Zhen Ning hadn’t left only because he knew that once he could no longer play, his presence would affect Yan Chengfeng’s emotions. He also knew that Yan Chengfeng was just one step away from his dream.
Moreover, Zhen Ning understood that if he stayed at KYM, they would inevitably drift apart. Yan Chengfeng would continue to grow on the field, while he would remain stuck, unable to reach stronger opponents and better resources. The gap between them would only widen.
But he didn’t want to fall behind.
Zhen Ning’s wish was for Yan Chengfeng to make it to the stage. Yan Chengfeng’s dream was to play alongside Zhen Ning forever, and Zhen Ning had promised him that.
He still wanted to fulfill that promise.
“For these past three years, I haven’t given up or slacked off for even a second. I’ve been working hard to catch up with you.”
“Because in the end,” Zhen Ning smiled, “no matter how difficult it is, I still want to be by your side as we make it to the top.”
