The medication had a prescribed dosage and schedule, but now the medicine was gone before the scheduled time. This could only mean one thing.
An overdose.
And not just an overdose—he had taken double the prescribed amount.
Li Chengke didn’t know whether to scold or show concern.
He stared at Yu Jiu silently.
Feeling guilty, Yu Jiu blinked and said, “The monthly exams are in a couple of days. I was afraid something might go wrong.”
Although he was trying to explain, his face clearly showed two conflicting attitudes: the left half read I feel bad about this, while the right half read I’ll do it again next time if necessary.
Li Chengke snapped, “Didn’t I tell you that this medication has serious side effects? That you need to strictly control the dosage and avoid taking it if you can?”
Yu Jiu replied, “You did.”
“Then why didn’t you listen?”
“…”
Yu Jiu thought to himself that he had listened, but he just couldn’t do it.
School was a complicated place, and his body was easily affected by external influences. If he wanted to live a peaceful life without anyone noticing anything unusual, he couldn’t do without the medication.
Seeing him suddenly fall silent, Li Chengke’s gaze softened with a hint of helplessness. “If I had known this would happen, I would’ve gone straight to your dad to get his signature and taken you to the hospital to have your gland removed.”
Yu Jiu: “…”
He didn’t say anything for a long time, so Li Chengke continued, “What’s wrong? Have you been a beta for so long that you forgot you ever differentiated?”
Yu Jiu hesitated for a moment and said, “No.”
If he could forget, there wouldn’t be any need for the medication.
He looked up at Li Chengke.
Li Chengke was the school doctor at First High School, but he wasn’t just a school doctor.
He had also been the school doctor at Yu Jiu’s middle school.
Yu Jiu discovered the connection between Li Chengke and his father during his third year of middle school. It happened when he scraped his knee playing basketball during gym class and went to the school infirmary for treatment. Afterward, he left his phone there by accident. When he returned to retrieve it, he overheard “Doctor Li” reporting his “condition” to his father.
After his parents divorced five years ago, Yu Jiu hadn’t seen his father since—not because his father didn’t care about him, but because his mother forbade it.
Yu Jiu didn’t understand what had happened between his parents. He only knew that, for as long as he could remember, their relationship had been terrible. They didn’t fight or argue,they treated each other with icy politeness.
After his grandfather’s crimes caused the company to go bankrupt, his mother blamed his father for refusing to help and insisted on divorcing him.
Since then, Yu Jiu had been prohibited from seeing his father, Bi Nanqing, and even had his surname changed.
Although Yu Jiu knew that Li Chengke’s presence at his school was arranged by someone, he was still grateful to him.
Li Chengke had helped him a lot, the most important being to conceal his pheromones.
Two years ago, Yu Jiu had differentiated into an omega at home. His pheromones, similar to his father’s, somehow triggered his mother, Yu Hui, into a frenzy. She demanded to sever their mother-son relationship.
After a few such episodes, Yu Jiu began to seriously consider having his gland removed. However, because he was a minor, the surgery required parental consent.
It was impossible to ask Yu Hui to sign the consent form. Her mood was unpredictable, swinging from calm to angry, and Yu Jiu couldn’t predict how she would react if she learned about his decision.
As for going to Bi Nanqing for the signature, that was even more unrealistic. If his mother found out he had approached Bi Nanqing, there was no telling how she would lose it.
Eventually, Yu Jiu shared his thoughts with Li Chengke, which was how he started using medication when he entered high school.
“You’re the one who said you just needed to get through three years of high school. That’s the only reason I agreed to let you use PVT. But with the way you’re overdosing now, I can’t guarantee you’ll make it through three years,” Li Chengke said.
PVT was the name of the medication Yu Jiu was currently using, an abbreviation of its English name. Like inhibitors, it suppressed certain physiological responses in Alphas and Omegas. However, PVT was far more effective.
Inhibitors only worked as an injection and only when an Alpha or Omega was experiencing a physiological reaction.
PVT, on the other hand, was an oral medication that directly acted on the glands of Alphas and Omegas. During its active period, it completely masked all external characteristics of A and O. It prevented the release of pheromones and made them largely impervious to external pheromones.
But PVT also had more drawbacks than inhibitors.
“PVT is highly addictive,” Li Chengke explained. “And long-term use, like antibiotics, leads to resistance. Once your body becomes resistant, you’ll experience a rebound effect. Your heat periods will be even harder to manage than a typical Omega’s.”
He continued, “So tell me honestly: did you double the dosage to feel more secure during exams, or is it because the normal dosage doesn’t work for you anymore?”
Yu Jiu: “…”
When he first started using PVT, it was simply to avoid leaving traces of his pheromones at home, which would send his mother into a frenzy. After using it once, he went to high school posing as a Beta. No longer needing to constantly guard against being discovered as an Omega or worrying about Alphas suppressing him with pheromones, he found the experience liberating. And so, he kept taking the medication to maintain his Beta disguise.
But the longer he used it, the more he realized that the effects of PVT were diminishing for him.
“So it’s not working anymore,” Li Chengke sighed. He picked up the black pill bottle, turning it over in his hand. “Here’s my advice: you have two options. One, stop the medication immediately and go to a proper hospital for a detailed physical examination.”
Yu Jiu immediately dismissed this option. “What’s the second option?”
“The second option is to reduce the dosage,” Li Chengke said. “Return to the normal prescribed amount, minimize contact with Alphas, and avoid anything that could trigger your heat.”
Yu Jiu thought for a moment before taking out a fresh envelope of cash. He opened it, counted out five crisp hundred-yuan bills, and placed them on the desk. “I’ll take the second option.”
Li Chengke: “…”
Looking at the red bills Yu Jiu handed over, Li Chengke asked curiously, “Why can’t you just transfer the money? I don’t usually use cash.”
Yu Jiu explained, “If I transfer the money, my mom will see it on my account.”
If she saw money going to an unknown recipient, she might imagine a whole drama about him secretly seeking out his “ungrateful” father.
“…”
Li Chengke looked at him, his eyes almost overflowing with sympathy. “Actually, you don’t have to pay for the medication yourself. I can just talk to your dad…”
“If you talk to my dad, I’ll talk to my mom.”
Li Chengke: “…”
If Yu Hui found out that Bi Nanqing had arranged for him to work at Yu Jiu’s school, his job might not last much longer.
Li Chengke coughed lightly and took the money without further protest.
“I don’t have the medication on hand right now,” he said. “I’ll have someone bring it tomorrow. But I need to remind you again: you must control the dosage. Don’t take this lightly. PVT is expensive not because it’s good but because it’s rare. The government strictly regulates its production due to its severe side effects. If you don’t want to face a heat with no suppressants that work, then control yourself. For now, avoid the basketball court and stay away from all Alphas. Remember, all Alphas.”
“…”
If he hadn’t emphasized it, it wouldn’t have been a problem. But the moment he stressed “all Alphas,” a familiar face flashed through Yu Jiu’s mind.
He froze for a moment. “I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“If I’m taking the medication and it’s active, is it still possible for me to be affected by an Alpha’s pheromones?”
The way he asked made it obvious he’d already encountered such a situation.
“You were influenced by an Alpha’s pheromones?” Li Chengke asked.
Yu Jiu wasn’t entirely sure if that’s what it was. After hesitating for a moment, he told Li Chengke about the strange reaction he had when he was attracted to Zhai Chi’s scent at the school gate and how his body reacted after Zhai Chi touched him.
Li Chengke considered this for a moment. “You mean the guy who was getting handsy with you at the school gate?”
“…”
Handsy? When did that happen?
Yu Jiu was baffled.
Li Chengke added, “Why are you looking at me like that? Stop reading so many books and spend more time online. Weren’t you the one leaving campus with the transfer student the other day?”
Someone had snapped photos of Yu Jiu and Zhai Chi at the school gate during their brief encounter. The photos, showing Zhai Chi examining the injury on Yu Jiu’s forehead before being swatted away, were already causing a storm on the school forum.
[What’s Zhai Chi doing getting handsy with my idol? Can’t he see Yu Jiu doesn’t even like him?!]
【Where did Zhai Chi get handsy? Clearly, it was Yu Jiu who kept leaning closer to him. He even pressed up against him.】
【What’s Yu Jiu trying to do here? Playing hard to get? Acting innocent while being manipulative?】
【What exactly happened between the two of them outside school? Did they almost get into a fight?】
【Why does this development feel so confusing…】
【…】
Yu Jiu hadn’t expected his seemingly insignificant actions to provoke so much speculation.
After reading the post, he handed Li Chengke’s phone back to him. “Yeah, that was me. We didn’t argue.”
After thinking for a moment, he added, “And we didn’t fight either.”
Li Chengke: “…”
He looked at Yu Jiu with a bit of surprise. “Do you know that transfer student?”
Yu Jiu silently confirmed.
Not only did he know him, but their relationship clearly wasn’t ordinary. Otherwise, why would Yu Jiu, fully aware of the risks of being around Alphas, leave school with him and stand so close?
Yet, when asked, Yu Jiu’s reaction was somewhat unexpected. “We knew each other as kids, but after I came back to China, we hadn’t seen each other.”
Li Chengke asked, “So after you came back, you didn’t contact him?”
“I went to look for him before I came back,” Yu Jiu admitted, but then he smiled bitterly. “He wasn’t home at the time, and he didn’t answer my calls. Later… I came back to China with my mom. She was afraid I’d secretly contact my dad, so she confiscated my phone. I didn’t get a new one until three months after returning.”
So, it was possible Zhai Chi had called him back, but by then, Yu Jiu couldn’t receive it.
Li Chengke quietly observed him before coughing lightly. “About the question you asked earlier—yes, even with the medication, it’s not impossible to be affected. The drug isn’t foolproof, especially now that you’ve developed resistance. If you encounter an Alpha with a strong genetic profile or one whose pheromones are highly compatible with yours, the chances of being affected are still high.”
The sudden shift in topic didn’t stop Yu Jiu from grasping the main point. He frowned. “Then… what should I do if I’m affected?”
“That’s easy,” Li Chengke said. “Either resolve things with that Alpha or establish a pheromone bond through a temporary mark to stabilize your own pheromones.”
“…”
Establish a pheromone bond with Zhai Chi?
Yu Jiu blurted, “That’s impossible! He… he and I aren’t in that kind of relationship.”
“That’s why I said to resolve it,” Li Chengke said, clearly enjoying the drama.
Yu Jiu frowned, touched the back of his neck, and decisively shook his head. “No way.”
It was bad enough for Zhai Chi to find out his pheromones were unstable. Asking him for help? Yu Jiu couldn’t even imagine saying those words.
“Then the only other option is to stay away from that Alpha,” Li Chengke said, shrugging. “The further, the better. And don’t even think about increasing your medication dosage. I’ve warned you about the consequences. If you don’t listen, I’ll have no choice but to ask your dad to take you to the hospital.”
“…”
Leaving the school clinic empty-handed, Yu Jiu felt an unusual sense of insecurity. But if he had to control his medication, this was only the beginning of the adjustment.
After leaving the clinic, Yu Jiu headed to the senior year teaching building to give half of his “loot” to Cheng Yuanchao. On his way back to class, he didn’t run into his homeroom teacher Zhao Yun, but he did encounter someone unexpected.
As he climbed up from the stairwell, he saw someone standing close to the wall in the hallway outside Class 1’s classroom. The tall figure, dressed in an ordinary school uniform, somehow gave the impression of wearing a competition team jersey, exuding a unique sense of formality.
Inside the classroom, some students were craning their necks to peek outside, whispering, “He’s so handsome,” and, “Wow, really good-looking.”
Yu Jiu, puzzled, called out, “Zhai Chi?”
The person turned at the sound of his voice, revealing a strikingly handsome face. Sure enough, it was Zhai Chi.
Yu Jiu walked over. “What are you doing up here?”
Class 10’s building was downstairs.
Zhai Chi saw him approaching, smiled, and handed over a plastic bag. “I went to buy some things.”
Yu Jiu instinctively reached out to take it.
Zhai Chi said, “Remember to clean your wound and apply the medicine. I’ll head back now.”
“…”
With that, he smiled, brushed past Yu Jiu, and walked down the stairs.
Yu Jiu stood there, dumbfounded, first at Zhai Chi’s appearance, and then at his departure.
Only when Zhai Chi disappeared into the stairwell did Yu Jiu lower his gaze to the plastic bag in his hand. Inside were disinfectants like iodine and alcohol, a few bags of cotton swabs, band-aids, and some topical medicines.
Zhai Chi had come all the way up here… to deliver medicine to him?
Yu Jiu felt as if a taut string in his heart had been lightly plucked.
Downstairs in Class 10’s classroom, Zhai Chi had just returned to his seat when his desk mate said, “Uh… Zhai Chi, Mr. Zhou asked you to go to the office.”
“What for?” Zhai Chi asked.
The boy hesitated, then glanced meaningfully toward the back of the classroom.
Zhai Chi turned to look, catching Xu Shi’s gaze before he could look away.
Zhai Chi chuckled softly.
It seemed someone had reported his movements—wandering between floors during evening self-study.
He thanked his desk mate, then headed to the teacher’s office.
The homeroom teacher for Class 10, Zhou Ya, was a stern Beta. When the knock came, he looked up briefly before returning to his lesson preparation.
Zhai Chi, seeing no response, walked straight to Zhou Ya’s desk.
Even when he stood right in front of him, Zhou Ya still didn’t look up.
Zhai Chi, not one to play along with this “silent treatment,” spoke directly. “Teacher, is there something you needed me for?”
There were other teachers in the office, and since the student had already spoken, ignoring him further would be out of line.
“I heard you went to Class 1 during evening self-study,” Zhou Ya said slowly, finally raising his head. “What’s this? Thinking about transferring to Class 1?”
Zhai chi has a long way to go since Yu Jiu has to avoid him to prevent complications. I’m looking forwards for their interactions tho 👀
