So, the next day, I logged onto the city’s marriage registry website.
The hospital hadn’t uploaded my new status yet, so I still had time.
I submitted my marriage application as a Beta, and the system matched me with a few candidates.
The top match? An old acquaintance—Shen Yichen, Lin Zeyan’s rival, a gentle S-rank Alpha.
Apparently, Lin Zeyan and Shen Yichen had become enemies in college, both crushing on Yun Han.
I doubted the system’s results—how could I match with an S-rank Alpha?
The second candidate seemed more reasonable: He Jingyuan, a sophomore in the math department, also a Beta. His family background was similar to mine, maybe even a bit worse. Marrying him would give Madam Su nothing to gain.
I selected him right away.
He replied quickly: [Are you really Yun Fei?]
[Yeah. Interested in getting married?]
Before I could send the message, he replied: [Sorry, I already have a boyfriend. I forgot to take down my profile. Good luck!]
Well, that was that.
I kept looking, but the options were slim.
And then, Lin Zeyan’s voice came from behind me. “You’re looking for a marriage match?”
I’d forgotten to turn on privacy mode.
“When did you get back? And you know it’s rude to snoop on someone’s screen, right?”
He ignored my protest. “You haven’t answered my question.”
I stared at him. Even though we’d called a truce, this was way too personal.
“Lin Zeyan, my decisions have nothing to do with you.”
He scowled. “How can you say that? If you get married, where am I supposed to get my pheromone comfort?”
“We’ll keep things as they are until I get married. After that, you’re on your own,” I shot back.
After all, once my Omega status was public, I wouldn’t need him to keep my secret anymore.
I kept scrolling, but the options were still terrible. And Lin Zeyan was still standing behind me, making me even more frustrated.
“Anything else?” I asked, my tone clipped.
The young man dropped his gaze, his dark eyes shining with a rare intensity.
To be fair, Lin Zeyan was ridiculously good-looking—especially those fox-like eyes of his, always carrying a hint of a smile, making everything he looked at seem meaningful.
He leaned in, close enough for me to catch his unique scent—a fresh osmanthus note, clean and alluring.
I frowned. “Your pheromones are leaking.”
Lin Zeyan’s gaze burned. “I can’t control it.”
“Then keep your distance,” I said, giving him a shove.
He quickly caught my hand, holding it firmly. Lin Zeyan pressed closer, voice low. “Yun Fei, are you really so eager to find someone to marry?”
“What’s it to you? I’m warning you, don’t cross the line.” I yanked my hand back, annoyed.
But his next words left me frozen.
He was dead serious, his eyes bright with conviction. “If you want to get married, why not pick me?”
Ever since that day when Lin Zeyan got a kick for running his mouth, he’d been a lot more well-behaved—though, honestly, he’d also gotten way clingier.
To be precise, he’d become clingy with me. Like a piece of stubborn tape, he followed me everywhere.
And he was pretty clear about his intentions.
“If you’re looking for someone to marry, why not consider me? I’ve got a good family, money, power, and, let’s face it, I’m easy on the eyes. Plus, I’m a top-ranked Alpha. Where are you going to find anyone better?”
Objectively, Lin Zeyan was the kind of guy everyone would want as a marriage partner. But all those so-called “advantages” were exactly what I wanted to avoid.
He looked at me, a little stunned. “You really have… unique taste in people, huh?”
I didn’t bother explaining. “You know my family situation. I’m just trying to look out for myself right now. Stop following me around—Yun Han won’t like it.”
I tried to leave it at that, but I underestimated just how persistent Lin Zeyan could be.
He caught up easily. “What’s Yun Han got to do with us?”
I didn’t look back. “I’m worried he’ll get jealous.”
Lin Zeyan seemed genuinely confused.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yun Han approaching, his expression lighting up as he ran over. “Zeyan, it’s been ages! What are you and my brother talking about?”
Without missing a beat, Lin Zeyan replied, “We’re discussing how to get married.”
I was stunned. Yun Han’s face fell, his wide eyes brimming with hurt—like I’d just stolen his boyfriend.
Had Lin Zeyan lost his mind? Why drag me into this mess?
I already had no patience for my green-tea little brother. Now, my peace and quiet were officially over.
No doubt, Yun Han would blame me for “stealing” his beloved Zeyan and start stirring up trouble again.
I glared at Lin Zeyan. “You can eat whatever you want, but you can’t say whatever you want.”
He just blinked, looking utterly sincere. “Given our situation, marriage makes the most sense.”
Yun Han’s face went even paler.
Was Lin Zeyan picking a fight with him on purpose? Trying to make me his enemy?
“Stop talking nonsense. There’s nothing between us.” I shot him a warning look and turned to leave.
Of course, with his long legs, he caught up easily. “You can’t just turn your back on me like that.”
Yun Han trailed behind, looking on the verge of tears, but one cold glare from Lin Zeyan froze him in place.
Once we were out of sight, I spun around to shut Lin Zeyan up. “You know, marrying me isn’t a bad deal. But if you’re really worried, we could just have a contract marriage—keep things as we agreed before. What do you think?”
It was the first time I’d seen Lin Zeyan so persistent.
“A contract marriage?” I mused. “Not a bad idea. Why didn’t I think of that?”
His eyes lit up. “So, you’re willing to marry me, contract-style?”
I gave him a look. “I’m just saying it’s a good idea. Maybe I’ll try it with someone else.”
There were plenty of people, after all, who wanted to escape their families just like me. A contract marriage wasn’t a bad way out.
“But you can forget about marrying me. No matter how great you are, I’d never pick you—not with your thing for Yun Han.” I added, just to make sure he wouldn’t take his frustration out on me.
As I turned to leave, he grabbed my wrist, his hand warm and strong.
“Lin Zeyan, what the—” I swung a punch at him, and, surprisingly, he didn’t dodge. My fist landed squarely on his cheek, making his head jerk to the side.
He looked at me, eyes stormy beneath a calm exterior.
“Who the hell told you I like Yun Han?” he demanded, clearly annoyed.
He looked genuinely disgusted at the mention of Yun Han.
“Who could like someone that fake? I’d never go for him.”
On impulse, I asked, “Then who do you like?”
He blurted, “Of course I like you—” but cut himself off, though I’d already heard.
Our eyes met, and his face turned bright red, ears and all.
“Who I like is none of your business!” he snapped, then bolted, leaving me dumbfounded.
This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. According to those strange memories, Lin Zeyan’s secret crush was supposed to be Yun Han. Now, it seemed like it was me.
Since that accidental confession, Lin Zeyan had been avoiding me. Even though we lived in the same dorm, he managed to dodge me perfectly.
The dorm leader started worrying that our hard-won truce had fallen apart again.
I couldn’t exactly tell him that Lin Zeyan had a crush on me and was now too embarrassed to show his face. Who would believe that? Even I was having trouble believing it.
But every morning, I’d wake up to find a breakfast box from the West Dining Hall on my desk—my favorite, the molten custard buns that sold out early every day.
Lin Zeyan’s bed was always empty by the time I noticed.
I ate in silence.
In class, he sat far away, but I could always feel his gaze burning into my back.
I knew I had to talk to him.
Chapter 04
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