Stumbling out of the deserted alley, Gu Ziran could barely keep himself upright. Every movement sent a sharp sting up his leg. His limp was uneven, painful—each step reminded him of Shen Henlu's fists slamming into him over and over.
A warm trail slid down the corner of his lips.
He raised trembling fingers and brushed it lightly—
"Ah—!"
He hissed, flinching at the sting. His skin throbbed beneath his touch.
---
Poco: Host… are you alright? I'm sorry. I couldn't interfere. The system is restricted from taking direct action during your missions…
The tiny voice echoed in his mind, filled with guilt and panic.
Gu Ziran didn't answer. His throat felt tight. He reached into his pocket, fumbling for his phone. When the screen lit up and reflected his face—
He froze.
His eyes widened.
Black and purple bruises bloomed under his eyes, ugly and swollen. His cheeks were red with the imprint of a hand, and his lips were split at the corner, blood drying in thin crusts.
He looked like someone else.
He looked like someone completely—broken.
Even he flinched at his own reflection.
"Can you… at least heal this a little?" he whispered, voice hoarse. "I don't want to worry the original owner's family…"
Poco: Host, I can't fully heal it. But I can reduce the damage by 50%… It will take one hour.
"Fine. Do it."
His voice cracked.
The silent healing process began as he limped across the nearly empty parking lot. His body felt heavy, every breath strained. He put on his helmet with stiff fingers, groaned when the strap pressed against the bruises on his jaw, and climbed onto his bike.
The engine roared to life, but he didn't notice a pair of eyes watching from behind a pillar—cold, sharp, filled with silent fury.
"Now," the hidden figure whispered, "you'll learn to stay far away ."
---
Home
By the time he reached home, his leg had healed but his bruises were still painfully visible—faded but unmistakable.
He hesitated before opening the door. His heart thudded nervously.
The moment he stepped inside—
"Welcome back, dear—OH MY GOD!"
His mother's gasp shattered the quiet house. She rushed forward, palms cold against his cheeks.
"Your face—Ziran, what happened to you?!"
Her alarm brought the whole family running.
Gu Xinyi grabbed his chin gently but firmly, tilting his face toward the light.
"Goodness, Little Ziran… Who did this?" she whispered, voice trembling.
He forced a laugh. "Nothing happened, Mom. Sis. I just… tripped. Had a small accident."
"Tripped?"
His father's deep voice cut through the room. "These bruises are not from a fall."
"Stop lying," his sister demanded, eyebrows knitting with worry. "Tell us the truth."
"Son," Father Gu growled, rising from the sofa, "who laid a hand on the Gu family's youngest? I'll break his hands myself."
Their anger was suffocating. The tension in the room skyrocketed.
"Dad, please," Gu Ziran said quickly, raising both hands in surrender. "Everyone, calm down. I don't wish to pursue this matter. It's better for all of us if we just… let it go."
"But—"
"Please, Sis." His voice cracked—not from pain, but fear.
His brother finally spoke, pushing his glasses up with a heavy sigh.
"At least tell us the perpetrator's name."
Cornered, drained, Gu Ziran whispered:
"…Shen Henlu."
The room went still.
Breathing stopped. Faces paled.
Of course they knew that name.
Everyone knew that name.
Shen Henlu—the heir of the Shen Group, a conglomerate powerful enough to influence the economy of five countries. Their status, wealth, and connections were unmatched.
If the Shen Group was an elephant…
The Gu family was an ant.
The air turned cold, heavy, dangerous.
Gu Ziran's sister broke the suffocating silence. "Fine. At least let me clean your wounds and bandage you."
He nodded weakly.
"I'll make something warm for you to eat," his mother murmured, voice soft but shaken, before heading into the kitchen.
Father Gu and Gu Yanjun exchanged a grave look.
"Father," his brother said quietly, "may I speak with you?"
His dad nodded. They walked to the study, the door closing with a soft but heavy click.
One by one, the house dispersed into worried shadows.
And Gu Ziran got dragged away by sister for medication.
*****
The next day, Gu Ziran resumed his mission—pursuing Xin Lu with relentless determination. He tried greeting him, starting conversations, even smiling warmly…
But Xin Lu responded with the same icy silence every time. Not a word more than necessary.
And from the corner of his eye, Shen Henlu never stopped glaring.
His stare felt like a scalpel—cold, sharp, ready to slice Gu Ziran open at the slightest provocation. Ziran didn't dare breathe too loudly, afraid the Alpha might leap across the classroom and tear him apart.
His only moment of peace came during chemistry lab.
It was one of the very few classes where neither Xin Lu, nor Shen Henlu, nor even Ying Qi attended. For once, Gu Ziran could laugh with his classmates without fear of being murdered.
But the clock ticked too fast.
Because once this class ended… every other period included either Xin Lu, or Shen Henlu—or worse, both. And occasionally, Ying Qi.
His stomach twisted with dread just thinking about it.
When the bell finally rang, students began packing up. The sound of bags zipping and chairs scraping grew louder.
Gu Ziran inhaled sharply.
Here we go again…
He stepped out of the classroom when suddenly—
A metallic voice echoed in his mind.
---
[ SUB-MISSION UNLOCKED: Save Xin Lu from getting bullied ]
[ REWARD: 50 Human Points ]
[ PENALTY: Death ]
[ TIME LIMIT: 15 minutes ]
---
Gu Ziran froze.
That time limit felt ominous—far too short.
"Poko," he hissed, breaking into a half-run, half-stumble through the corridor, lab manual and coat clutched awkwardly in his arms. "Locate Xin Lu. Fast!"
Poko: On it, Host… locating…
Xin Lu is in the basketball court. He's being bullied by Ying Qi's fanclub members.
"Damn it—!" Gu Ziran cursed.
This wasn't just bullying. If those people were involved, it would definitely reach Shen Henlu. And if Shen Henlu accused Ying Qi… their already fragile relationship would collapse.
Pushing Ying Qi closer and closer to insanity.
---
Gu Ziran sprinted across the school grounds until the basketball court came into view.
And his heart dropped.
Xin Lu was on his knees.
Head bowed.
Surrounded by four boys and three girls—each wearing excited cruelty on their faces.
"You shameless wench!" a girl shrieked, hurling a rotten tomato at him. It splattered across Xin Lu's cheek, dripping down his jaw.
"First you seduce Shen Henlu, now Gu Ziran? How many men do you want?!"
Another girl threw spoiled eggs. The smell hit the air sharply.
Xin Lu didn't raise his head. Didn't speak. Didn't defend himself.
Just knelt there—silent, motionless, enduring everything.
Gu Ziran's blood boiled.
"HEY!"
His shout cracked through the court as he stormed forward. "What the hell are you doing?! Leave him alone!"
One of the boys sneered. "We just—"
"Scram," Gu Ziran snapped. "Or I'll report every single one of you to the discipline committee."
The moment he said that, panic spread through the group.
Their confidence evaporated.
They scattered like frightened animals.
Soon, only silence remained on the court.
Gu Ziran rushed to Xin Lu, shrugging off his own coat without hesitation and draping it over his trembling shoulders.
"Xin Lu, are you okay?" he asked softly, crouching beside him.
For the first time, he noticed how thin Xin Lu was beneath the oversized uniform—frail, almost delicate.
"I'm fine," Xin Lu whispered, trying to pull away.
"No, you're not," Gu Ziran insisted, wiping tomato pulp and egg residue off his face with a clean handkerchief.
Xin Lu let out a faint, bitter laugh. "I probably deserved it."
"NO, YOU DON'T."
Before he could stop himself, Gu Ziran grabbed Xin Lu by the shoulders.
Xin Lu's breath hitched—surprised.
"You don't deserve this. You're worth more than trash thrown at you. You deserve jewels, Xin Lu. Respect. Not this."
Xin Lu stared at him, speechless.
Something in the cloudiness of his eyes shifted—uncertainty giving way to a faint glimmer. But Gu Ziran was too focused on cleaning him to notice.
"We have to get you cleaned up," Ziran said, helping him stand. "You can't go through the day like this."
He guided Xin Lu toward the boys' locker building and gently pushed him into the Omega washroom.
Ziran stayed outside. He couldn't enter—he was a Beta.
"I have spare clothes in my locker," he offered. "I can bring them."
From behind the door, Xin Lu replied, "No, I have my own. Locker password is EZ34NK. Please bring my spare uniform."
"Got it."
Gu Ziran hurried to the lockers, found Xin Lu's nameplate, keyed in the password, and opened the door without peeking at anything personal. He grabbed the neatly folded spare uniform and headed back.
He knocked.
The door cracked open. A pale hand reached out, taking the clothes.
A few minutes later, Xin Lu emerged—fresh uniform, damp hair, eyes lowered. He walked toward Gu Ziran, his expression unreadable.
"…Thank you," he said quietly.
Gu Ziran smiled—warm, gentle.
"No problem."
The next few days passed without major incidents—at least on the surface. The only change was Xin Lu.
The once–cold Omega who never spared Gu Ziran a glance had begun responding to him. Briefly, lightly… but enough to unsettle him. Enough to make Ying Qi's words echo in the back of his mind.
Today, however, something truly unexpected happened.
As usual, Gu Ziran picked up his lunch tray and headed toward the exit of the canteen, planning to eat with the other Betas on the sports ground. But just as he stepped out, a quiet voice called out behind him:
"Gu Ziran."
He froze.
The entire canteen froze.
Xin Lu—the aloof, untouchable Omega—was calling him?
A ripple of shock spread across the room. Even Shen Henlu, sitting with his group, visibly stiffened. Ying Qi's brows knitted together in suspicion.
Gu Ziran hesitated but forced himself to walk to the table where Xin Lu sat alone.
"Uh—yes? How can I help you?"
His voice sounded like an awkward sales assistant. To his horror, Xin Lu actually chuckled, soft and melodic. It stunned not only him but everyone within earshot.
For a moment, even Gu Ziran lost his breath.
"I don't need anything," Xin Lu said, eyes curving gently. "I just want you to sit and have lunch with me."
Gu Ziran blinked. Lunch? With Xin Lu?
The offer was good—too good—but he couldn't just abandon his friends who were waiting outside.
"I actually already have plans with my—"
"Please."
That single word, paired with Xin Lu's expectant gaze, disarmed him completely.
Gu Ziran sighed internally and sat down—facing Xin Lu, not beside him. Sitting beside him would get him skinned alive by Shen Henlu, and he wished to keep all his organs intact.
"Gu Ziran," Xin Lu began, drawing his drifting attention back, "thank you for helping me that day."
"A-ah, no issue."
Gu Ziran hurriedly shoved food into his mouth, desperate to finish quickly and escape the burning holes Shen Henlu was glaring into his back. Ying Qi wasn't helping either—the boy's suspicious stare felt like a dagger pressed to his neck.
After a moment, Xin Lu leaned forward slightly, voice lowering.
"Gu Ziran… why do you want to be friends with me?"
Gu Ziran froze mid–bite.
Xin Lu's eyes were calm but held a sharp, icy gleam.
"Don't lie. I know the bruises on your face weren't from a fall. Shen Henlu warned you to stay away from me. Yet you're still so persistent."
A pause.
"Is it because of Ying Qi?"
The underlying threat in his tone was unmistakable—Say the wrong thing, and I'll drag you to hell myself.
Gu Ziran instantly choked on his food.
"C–cough! Cough—!"