1: Steady. No Big Deal.
Shen Jin stood quietly inside a bathroom stall, his long lashes lowered as he fastened the buttons on his cuffs and smoothed out the wrinkles.
His movements were methodical and unhurried. Clearly, he’d done this often enough to make it routine.
There were still voices outside the stall. For Nanhu High School students, this was the place to gossip freely before morning self-study started. Shen Jin vaguely caught his own name, but his attention wasn’t on that at all.
He took out a small mirror to check his face and hair, then carefully scanned every visible spot on his person. Good. His clothes were neat, and his tie wasn’t crooked.
Perfect. Today, he was still the flawless Shen Jin.
He raised his hand to open the door.
Hm?
There was a tiny oil stain. Ah, it must’ve gotten on him when he ate soup dumplings this morning.
It was because that shop’s soup dumplings were too delicious. It definitely wasn’t because he’d been conquered by good food and forgot to watch his image.
He immediately fished a portable stain remover pen out of his pocket, spraying and rubbing as he went. He finally got rid of it, and only then did he walk out.
All of Nanhu High School’s sinks were outside the bathrooms in a shared area. At the moment, two pretty omegas were chatting enthusiastically.
“Did you hear? Shen Jin apparently came back to school today!”
“The new semester’s already been going for two weeks and he’s only just showing up? So the rumor’s probably true, right?”
“If I were him, I’d cry myself unconscious in the bathroom. He’s still the most pitiful one. Even with odds that tiny, he managed to end up like that…”
The other omega was about to respond when she looked up and saw Shen Jin walking slowly toward them from behind. He came to stand beside them, turned on the tap, and started washing his hands.
The two omegas immediately fell silent. Getting caught talking about someone behind their back by the person in question, who wouldn’t be embarrassed?
Shen Jin leisurely washed his hands, his porcelain-white fingers interlacing beneath the running water. He pulled a few tissues from the box and dried them.
Just before he stepped away, as if remembering something, he turned back and said, “I didn’t cry myself unconscious.”
The two omegas were experiencing their first close encounter with Shen Jin. They stood there in a daze, watching him walk away.
What a joke. Even if he really had cried, would he let them see it?
Shen Jin thought to himself as he headed for the teachers’ office, drawing quite a few stares along the way. As soon as he arrived, several teachers expressed their concern, directly and indirectly. Afraid of hurting his pride, they could only circle around the subject.
Shen Jin acted just like before. He apologized for taking two weeks off and looked like the very picture of a polite, well-mannered good student. He seemed completely unaffected by the rumors.
Instead, he asked where the homeroom teacher had gone. Today’s morning self-study was Chinese class, but the homeroom teacher hadn’t shown up, and the classroom had become as rowdy as a pot of boiling porridge.
“He probably overslept again while working on his lesson plans. You’re still the class representative this semester, so go ahead and lead the students in reading.”
Their Chinese teacher was a young guy who’d only graduated a few years ago. He was always so dedicated to creating lesson plans that he ended up late. He’d already been reported several times for it.
The tail end of summer’s heat hadn’t passed yet, and most students were still immersed in the lingering afterglow of summer vacation. Especially the few alphas in the back rows. Their tempers were explosive, and they’d stand up and throw books at the slightest disagreement.
When Shen Jin walked into the classroom, Class 9 seemed to hit the pause button. It became utterly silent.
Amid a chorus of gasps, Shen Jin’s sharp eyes and quick hands caught the book.
If his observational skills hadn’t been strong, that book would’ve smacked him right in the forehead.
Of course, he would never allow such a character-breaking incident to happen to him.
The classmates: “Whoa!”
Shen Jin’s appearance instantly drew most people’s attention. Even students sneaking breakfast couldn’t help but look up at him.
He walked over to the desk of the boy who’d thrown the book. The originally arrogant boy met Shen Jin’s indifferent gaze and stammered, “S-sorry.”
“Your book.” Shen Jin nodded, his peripheral vision catching sight of the alpha again. There was a canker sore at the corner of his lip, probably from internal heat. Shen Jin wanted to recommend the newly released watermelon frost spray, but that didn’t quite fit his aloof image, so he could only helplessly return to the podium.
The people around that boy quietly teased him.
“Didn’t you say if Shen Jin differentiated into a beta, you’d dare to chase him?”
“Yeah, why are you chickening out? Go for it.”
The boy’s face flushed red as he snapped, “What’s it to you? Shut up!”
He stole a careful glance at Shen Jin. Seeing that Shen Jin hadn’t noticed them, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, but he couldn’t help continuing to watch him anyway.
During summer vacation, a post had been floating around the school forum for a long time. Even people who rarely checked the forum knew about it. During the holiday that had just passed, Nanhu High School’s untouchable flower, Shen Jin, had differentiated from an omega to a beta.
That thunderbolt shocked everyone, and the omega-exclusive forum practically experienced a magnitude-eight tsunami.
Most people’s gender was determined at birth, but a minority would differentiate into another gender during puberty. Differentiation itself was already extremely rare. For someone like Shen Jin to differentiate from an omega to a beta was unheard of.
You had to understand that omegas were the rarest existence in this world. Compared to them, there were far too many betas. Differentiating into a beta would be a huge blow to anyone.
Everyone was skeptical at first. Then classes were reassigned at the start of the semester, and Shen Jin still didn’t show up. People began to speculate that he was going through his differentiation period. Their physiology classes had mentioned that the process was very painful. None of them had experienced it personally. Most of what they knew was hearsay.
Judging only from his appearance, Shen Jin hadn’t changed much. So had he actually differentiated or not?
Shen Jin had been the object of attention since childhood. Even though most of these gazes were now filled with curiosity, his expression didn’t change in the slightest.
No one could see that beneath his icy exterior, he was a bit anxious.
Stay calm. You’re Shen Jin. What storm haven’t you weathered? This little scene is nothing.
All that mental preparation he’d done in the bathroom hadn’t been for nothing. Shen Jin was flawless when facing others now, with no obvious cracks to be found.
As long as he wasn’t embarrassed, the embarrassed ones would be everyone else.
Shen Jin quietly took a breath and came to the podium. He lowered his head to open the textbook and said evenly, “I’m the Chinese class representative, Shen Jin.”
Since there might be classmates who didn’t know him, Shen Jin gave a simple self-introduction.
Nanhu High School’s private campus had its land requisitioned. Most private-school students had transferred to other private high schools. The remaining portion had come to Nanhu’s main campus. Fortunately, the main campus was large. Even with the sudden influx, they could rearrange classes, though every classroom ended up packed full.
“This morning the teacher has something urgent to handle, but he’ll be here soon. Let’s turn to page twelve first.”
Shen Jin surveyed the room and noticed several empty seats.
He’d only just returned to school, and there were half the students in Class 9 he didn’t recognize. He asked directly, “Who sits in those seats?”
That question seemed to light something up. Quite a few students eagerly reported the names, especially several omegas who looked thrilled.
A girl in the front row lowered her voice. “They’re all from the private school.”
Luo Ying blinked at him in a mysterious way.
That whole group had backgrounds, especially the one called Qian Kun.
When school first started, that group had beaten up several campus tyrants from the specialty class. Qian Kun hadn’t participated, but when punishments were about to be handed down, he went to the office once and the whole thing disappeared. The ones who’d led the beating didn’t get punished at all. They only received a few painless warnings.
Everyone could see this was someone not to be messed with. Unfortunately, Shen Jin had taken two weeks off and didn’t know any of this.
Luo Ying had been in Class 9 before, and she sometimes asked Shen Jin questions. He was fairly familiar with her, but he didn’t understand the meaning behind her wink and didn’t take it seriously.
Shen Jin had just finished reading a model essay when a group of people came flooding in. Several of them were still holding unfinished bubble tea. They didn’t bother lowering their voices.
“This shop’s bubble tea really doesn’t cut it. Did they add a bunch of saccharin?”
“How could it compare to that little omega who just ran over to confess to Brother Kun? Her mouth was full of industrial saccharin.”
“The best part was still Brother Kun’s line. ‘Sorry, I need to study.’”
“Since when has Brother Kun cared about studying? Does studying even know him?”
“Did you see that girl’s expression, like she wanted to try again? Hahaha…”
Laughing and joking, they were heading back to their seats when an icy voice cut in.
“Students who are late, all of you stand at the front by the blackboard.”
They looked over and saw a boy as cold as an ice sculpture standing on the platform, staring at them. He clearly intended to stand off with them if they didn’t accept the punishment.
Shen Jin didn’t notice the admiring looks from other classmates. It wasn’t that he was retaliating because his reading had been interrupted. He remembered how last semester the homeroom teacher had said Class 9 was nearly at the bottom even among the regular classes, and he’d asked Shen Jin to pay attention during morning self-study. Anyone late had to be made an example of to improve the class atmosphere.
Shen Jin had agreed back then. Now, seeing this group brazenly challenging authority, he punished them on impulse. He treated it as killing a chicken to warn the monkeys.
“Well, well. Where did this model student come from, treating a chicken feather like an arrow of authority?”
“What do you think you…”
This group had been big shots at their private high schools. They were long used to ruling the roost. Even after coming to the main campus, they had no intention of restraining themselves.
Before the words could come out however, Liu Qimai was silenced by a look from the tall boy in front. He immediately shut his mouth.
The tall boy looked toward Shen Jin on the podium.
Their gazes collided in midair without a single spark.
One lazy, one cold. Neither took the other seriously.
Qian Kun seemed to be explaining, but his tone was casual. “Eating breakfast took a bit of time. Class rep, can you be flexible?”
Shen Jin felt this person had a decent temper, much better than the one who’d been about to curse earlier. This group also seemed to follow the tall boy’s lead, so Shen Jin said, “Be flexible? You can say that to the teacher.”
I’m just a heartless reading machine, operating according to rules and regulations.
Shen Jin paid them no more attention and continued reading the next piece.
Students kept turning around to look at the group at the back of the classroom, marveling at the sight. Even after school had been in session this long, it was the first time they’d seen these arrogant second-generation rich kids get put in their place. Would Shen Jin get jumped after school?
No matter what, the onlookers felt extremely satisfied.
Seeing that Qian Kun wasn’t going back to his seat, the others didn’t feel right about sitting down first either.
Liu Qimai was very displeased. He stared unblinkingly at Shen Jin’s face and said, “Brother Kun, are we really going to stand here as punishment?”
Qian Kun’s eyes narrowed slightly. He tipped his head back, took a sip of water, and tossed the empty bottle into the trash can.
He licked the water droplet at the corner of his mouth, half-smiling. “What else? I’m a law-abiding student.”
Do you even believe that yourself?
Liu Qimai and the others almost laughed. If their Brother Kun didn’t care about being punished, they certainly didn’t either.
They’d definitely need to find an opportunity to teach that pretty omega a lesson.
Someone pulled out a phone and started playing Landlord.
Qian Kun wasn’t interested. He took out his Bluetooth earbuds and put them in, closing his eyes to listen. Leaning against the wall, a breeze slipped in from the window. Leaves rustled down outside. Several girls who turned back to peek felt their faces flush without meaning to.
Shen Jin hadn’t expected this group to be so good at drawing inferences from one example. His path had been too narrow.
So he didn’t interfere further. Just now, Luo Ying had been constantly giving him meaningful looks, and Shen Jin had vaguely sensed something.
The homeroom teacher had indeed stayed up late preparing lessons the night before and missed his alarm in the morning. He rushed into the classroom in a fluster, only to see Class 9 presenting a scene of ice and fire.
At the front, Shen Jin was leading students in reciting texts. At the back, a group of troublemakers was playing on their phones, shouting, “Quick, are you doubling or not?”
The homeroom teacher’s head practically split in two.
Each of these troublemakers had decent grades. They weren’t naturally born troublemakers, but they were particularly good at causing problems. In just these two weeks, he’d already begun to deeply sympathize with their former homeroom teachers.
If this group didn’t all listen to Qian Kun, who knew what chaos they’d cause? He couldn’t figure out why a bunch of people who didn’t respect anyone would follow Qian Kun’s lead.
After getting a general understanding of what had happened, the homeroom teacher had Qian Kun and the others return to their seats.
His tone was gentle toward Qian Kun. “Try to eat breakfast faster in the future, or you’ll miss morning assembly.”
Then he glared at the troublemakers.
“Alright, I’ll pay attention.” Qian Kun agreed and removed his earbuds.
The homeroom teacher couldn’t help sighing. If those troublemakers had even half of Qian Kun’s consideration, their teachers wouldn’t be so exhausted.
Shen Jin was the last student in the class to report in. He sat in the only empty seat in the last row. Across the aisle was Qian Kun. They could be considered half-neighbors.
After class, Luo Ying had originally wanted to come ask Shen Jin a math question, but seeing that Qian Kun was actually looking at Shen Jin, she hesitated and decided not to disturb the big shot’s elegant interest.
Qian Kun propped up his chin. His lips were thin, naturally carrying a smile, but there was no mirth in his eyes. “Class rep, your name is Shen Jin?”
He’d seen the signature on the textbook sitting on Shen Jin’s desk.
For no clear reason, Shen Jin felt his scalp tingle. His face remained composed as he said coldly, “Do you need something?”
“This is my first time being punished to stand. I need to remember it.” Qian Kun’s tone was light.
Liu Qimai laughed with unbridled glee, probably because it was rare to encounter someone that even Qian Kun found disagreeable.
The classroom was noisy during break, but this area was peculiarly quiet. Students around them were consciously or unconsciously listening.
Just when they thought Shen Jin would back down, they saw him flip a page of his test paper, still maintaining that unapproachable demeanor, and casually say, “Oh, life is so long. How do you know there won’t be a second time? What’s the rush?”
The classmates: …As expected of you.
Shen Jin noticed Liu Qimai, who sat in front of Qian Kun, glaring at him viciously. He knew. This grudge had been established.
Shen Jin had already checked the forum earlier.
He skipped over the hot topics about himself and specifically looked at posts related to this group of former private-school students. There were all kinds of candid photos of Qian Kun. A quick skim was enough to tell Shen Jin that Qian Kun had quite a background.
He rarely caused trouble, but if someone provoked him, they definitely wouldn’t get off easy.
There were also many comments saying their Class 9 was lucky to have gotten such a trump card.
Was Shen Jin panicking?
He was.
However, panicking wouldn’t help. This type of person looked down on those who showed weakness and begged for mercy the most.
Since he’d already offended him, he might as well face it head-on.
Steady. No big deal.
Qian Kun probably hadn’t expected Shen Jin to be so stubborn, not offering a single soft word. He was momentarily stunned.
At the back door, a few boys from other classes came to call Qian Kun to play basketball.
Qian Kun responded and stood up. A cool breeze seemed to follow him as he passed behind Shen Jin. Shen Jin saw the nearest omega’s legs go weak.
Once outside the classroom, Liu Qimai slung an arm over Qian Kun’s shoulder. “Tonight, should I take the brothers to ‘meet’ with that omega?”
Qian Kun disdainfully pulled the hand off his shoulder. As if remembering something, he smiled a little. “You think he’s an omega?”
“Isn’t he?”
“He’s a beta.”
And a beta who’d just differentiated, still carrying a lingering scent that could hook anyone.
Author’s Note:
Don’t doubt it. Jinjin is definitely a cold-on-the-outside, silly-on-the-inside shou~. Sesame skin, sticky rice filling~~~
This is a light, easy story, so don’t take it too seriously~~ I hope all you sweethearts have fun reading.
Setting: Gender is determined at birth, with a certain probability of differentiating into another gender during puberty.
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