Chapter 13

Early morning. Pale golden light broke through the cloud cover and fell across the garden path. The mist clinging to the green foliage had condensed into droplets, catching the light on the leaves with a crystalline gleam.

Yang Zhuo led a group of wilted, drooping trainees in a line along the path to the dormitory building.

Yun Zhi was so tired his eyes were barely staying open, wave after wave of drowsiness rolling through his brain. He shook his head and forced himself to stay alert.

The warm, cozy double room was waiting for him and Fang Yixing — he had to hold on long enough to win the game!

"Hey, wake up!" Yang Zhuo snapped his fingers beside an Omega who was nearly asleep on their feet, jolting them awake, then announced the rules with a smile. "Single room competitors, step forward! Ten people want to compete for a single room. Your competition — a race back to the dormitory. First come, first served!"

Hearing the rules, track-and-field star Omega Tang He smoothed his brow with confident fingers. "That easy? Sorry, friends — first place is mine!"

"Oh, there's one condition — don't underestimate the games our production team designs." Yang Zhuo looked at Tang He with a fond expression and smiled. "You have to spin in circles the whole way there. Otherwise your result is disqualified. Our camera operators will be filming the full run."

Tang He: "Are you kidding?!"

A slight-framed trainee: "Spin all the way there — that's a full thousand meters. I'll collapse halfway!"

The faces of the assembled trainees at this moment could only be described as stupefied. With the exception of Fang Yixing, who as always was perfectly composed — the demeanor of someone too unbothered to care about anything.

Yang Zhuo produced inspirational words without a second's hesitation. "The road to success is always extraordinarily hard. Complaining won't make the production team change the rules — it'll only make them more sadistic. Go for it! Young trainees, clear this hurdle and you'll be one step closer to riding the wind and breaking the waves!"

One step closer to dying right here on this path, more like.

But what could they do? Make an attempt and maybe you get the single room. Don't try and it's the eight-person bunk room for you.

The ten of them formed two rows and stood side by side at the starting line, arms crossed over their chests, pinching their noses with their fingers, heads bowed into the elephant-trunk spinning position.

Yang Zhuo's whistle blew, and the ten of them took off like spinning tops, whirling and lurching forward.

Not even ten meters in, several of them had already scattered in different directions, staggering and weaving wildly.

Track star Tang He, having spun too fast at the start, was now forced to stop in place to let his dizzy head recover.

Zhao Jinzhao and another trainee overtook him from behind, spinning at a steady pace as they ran past.

Though Zhao Jinzhao was veering further and further off course — he had already drifted off the paved path and stepped into the grass alongside it.

Sweat streaming down his face, his hair definitely ruined, Zhao Jinzhao gritted his teeth — worrying about his appearance while cursing the sadistic production team and their sadistic game in his head.

"You're going off course!" Yun Zhi, who happened to be standing on the lawn beside the path, jogged over and whispered to him.

"I know!" Zhao Jinzhao gritted through clenched teeth with his head down. He could feel through the soles of his feet that he'd gone sideways. But momentum carried him — he couldn't brake immediately.

Yun Zhi bent down and saw that he had his eyes tightly shut, sweat seeping into the corners of his eyes, his immaculate makeup half gone, face scrunched up from the stinging pain of sweat in his eyes.

Yun Zhi couldn't stand to watch. He quickly fished out a wet tissue and wiped the sweat from his face. "Hold still a moment, let me wipe that off."

At this, Zhao Jinzhao slowed to a stop, and Yun Zhi hurried over and dabbed the cool wet tissue across his face.

Zhao Jinzhao suddenly pulled him forward — Yun Zhi nearly bumped right into him.

"Block the camera for me — don't let it get my face," Zhao Jinzhao squinted down and murmured to Yun Zhi quietly, "I must look absolutely terrible right now."

Yun Zhi pressed his lips together and gave a quiet laugh. His little head made a quick sweep left and right, and he replied in a low, barely-there whisper. "Don't worry — it didn't get you."

"Alright, senior, get going — keep it up!"

Zhao Jinzhao was silent for two seconds, then smiled at him. "Thank you."

Yun Zhi jogged back to Fang Yixing's side, watching his fellow trainees zigzagging their way through the spinning race with worried eyes, head drooping, a little despondent. "This game is so hard — I can't do it, I really can't."

Fang Yixing genuinely agreed the competition was excessive. A physical endurance challenge he'd have confidence winning — but spinning in circles, he really had no faith in himself for that.

Seeing that there was no way to show his capable side in front of his fated little Omega, Fang Yixing ruffled Yun Zhi's hair and quietly sighed.

Yang Zhuo blew his whistle again and called out, "Double room competitors, assemble!"

Fang Yixing took Yun Zhi's wrist and pulled him over to join the group.

"The sun is getting brighter," Yang Zhuo squinted cheerfully up at the sky and said to them, "The fastest of the single room competitors should have reached the halfway point by now. Let's look forward to seeing who'll be the first trainee to reach the dormitory."

"Now — time for the double room competition to begin. I'm sure everyone who chose to live together is a very close friend. Your competition is a compatibility test! Use two ropes to tie your legs together with your partner — each rope is 80 centimeters long — and race to the dormitory. Same rule: first to arrive claims the room."

A staff member brought over a bundle of thin red ropes.

The eight pairs competing for double rooms looked up at the sky in collective despair.

The ropes were only 80 centimeters. Wrapping one end around each shin used up about 20 centimeters each side. With both legs tied and pulling against each other, they'd have barely 40 centimeters of movement between them. Could they even run?

Could they even make it to the dormitory alive?

Yang Zhuo said with a straight face, "I can see everyone's already raring to go — so please tie up your ropes and get ready to start!"

Receiving two ropes, Yun Zhi passed one to Fang Yixing and looked at him helplessly. "Do we face each other or go in the same direction?"

Walking facing each other was more likely to result in falling than walking in the same direction. Fang Yixing glanced down briefly at Yun Zhi's legs, then at his own waistline — clearly quite a bit higher — and went silent for a moment before saying warmly, "Same direction. You go first, I'll follow behind you."

Yun Zhi's stride was considerably shorter than his. Putting Yun Zhi in front was safer, and he could simply shorten his own steps to match Yun Zhi's pace.

Yun Zhi felt touched — and also felt a small pang of something.

Why was it that Fang Little Beautiful O, also an Omega, got to have those ridiculously long legs while he didn't?

Fang Yixing knelt on one knee to tie the red rope around both his and Yun Zhi's ankles. Yun Zhi looked down watching him, his mind working out a strategy. "When we start, I'll call out 'one-two, one-two' — follow my rhythm. Let's go slowly. Safety first."

Once the ropes were tied, the production team's safety staff came around to fit everyone with protective pads on their knees and elbows.

"Stay safe! Go!"Yang Zhuo blew a long blast of his whistle.

"One, two! One, two!" Yun Zhi stretched out each syllable as he called the rhythm, walking as if someone had pressed him to half-speed.

Constrained by the red rope, Fang Yixing had no choice but to shuffle along with him in slow motion — one tiny step, then lifting the other foot for another tiny step.

The other trainees watching them both burst out laughing.

The image was genuinely comical. You couldn't blame them for laughing.

All seven other pairs had already gotten ahead of them, but the way they were all moving forward was visibly agonizing.

Two of the pairs were going face-to-face — the one walking backward tried to lift a foot, but their partner lifted theirs a beat too slow, and the first one nearly toppled over.

The other pairs going in the same direction weren't doing much better — move too fast and they tripped each other up.

"Yixing," Yun Zhi watched the other pairs ahead of them, shuffling miserably but at a far faster pace, and switched steps with excruciating slowness, looking like he was on the verge of tears. "We're dead last. We're not going to get the double room. I'm sorry."

Fang Yixing moved with him at an impossibly slow pace and said soothingly, "Don't apologize. Having you in front makes me feel very secure — you haven't fallen once."

"Yun Zhi, stop a moment!" Fang Yixing called to him again, his cool voice carrying an unusual note of feeling. "Let's try a different approach."

Yun Zhi stopped with difficulty and turned his head. "What do we do?"

"Untie the rope first." Fang Yixing crouched down to undo the knot at his ankle. "I'll carry you on my back, then you tie the rope around my thigh."

Yun Zhi tilted his head in puzzlement and tried to picture the result.

That might actually work?

But carrying him all that way — Fang Yixing would definitely wear himself out.

Even if Fang Yixing looked tall and sturdy, he was still a soft, fragile Omega.

Should he carry Fang Yixing instead?

Yun Zhi didn't have much confidence in his own delicate little frame either. Collapsing under the weight was one thing, but if he accidentally dropped Fang Yixing that would be even worse.

Fang Yixing had a fairly good read on what Yun Zhi was conflicted about from his expressive face. He reached back and patted himself on the back, crouching down to wait. "I work out regularly. This distance isn't a problem. And you're very light — not heavy at all. Get on."

Yun Zhi looked at the other pairs ahead of them, now a full twenty meters in front, scrunched his face and climbed onto Fang Yixing's back. "Tell me if you get tired."

Fang Yixing: "I will. Tie the rope."

Yun Zhi stretched the red rope from his ankle as far as it would go and managed to tie it around Fang Yixing's thigh. The rope was too short — his ankle had to press right up against the side of Fang Yixing's leg.

Yun Zhi tilted his head to the left and rested in the crook of his neck, saying softly, "Tonight when we get back I'll give you a massage — Yun Zhi's exclusive secret technique, guaranteed cure for aching backs and weak legs!"

Fang Yixing curved his lips in a smile, stood up. "Sounds good."

He carried Yun Zhi steadily. Without even running, his long legs rapidly closed the gap on the other pairs.

Watching Fang Yixing stride past them like he was taking a casual walk, the other pairs: ???

"That's allowed?"

The cameraman explained, "We didn't specify a posture — just that the rope has to be tied on. What they're doing is perfectly within the rules. You're welcome to follow their example."

The two partners looked at each other's slight, fragile frames with unconcealed doubt.

Never mind — getting tangled together was safer than falling off someone's back.

After switching their approach, Yun Zhi's pair reached the dormitory building in just fifteen minutes.

They untied the red rope at the foot of the building, then strolled upstairs to look through the rooms one by one, finally picking a double room at the corner of the corridor.

Spacious, and the best natural light.

Fresh bedding had already been laid out on the beds — clean and tidy. The staff quickly followed with their suitcases.

Yun Zhi called out to one of the staff in black carrying their luggage and asked if there were any more activities coming up.

Upon learning there weren't for the time being, Yun Zhi pushed Fang Yixing down onto one bed, pressed his shoulders down to make him sit, and despite being barely holding himself together with exhaustion, fussed over getting him to sleep first. "Yixing, get some rest. You must be completely worn out. I'll set a two-hour alarm — I'll wake you up for lunch."

Fang Yixing's expression softened. "Alright. You sleep too."

The two beds faced each other, with a corridor of over two meters between them — plenty of space.

Yun Zhi fixed his blanket, and the moment his head hit the pillow, he was out.

He didn't know how long had passed when the dormitory's broadcast speakers blared "beep beep beep——"

Yun Zhi turned over in bed and forced his eyes open with great difficulty. He checked the time — barely an hour had gone by.

What are they stirring up now?!

Fang Yixing, who hadn't slept deeply, got up faster than him. He stood up and folded his blanket in a few crisp movements, then heard the announcement: "Attention all trainees — your uniforms have been delivered to your dormitory doors. Please change into them within five minutes and assemble downstairs."

Even through the dormitory door, they could hear the cries of anguish coming from the other rooms.

The production team was absolutely inhumane.

"Can you get up?" Fang Yixing looked at Yun Zhi, who had curled himself and his snow-white blanket into a compact huddle on the bed. For some reason, he was reminded of a little snowman sitting in a field of snow.

"I can." Yun Zhi, carrying a faint trace of morning grumpiness, made a valiant effort to force his eyes wide, puffing his cheeks. "I can do it."

Fang Yixing collected two sets of uniforms from the door, placed the smaller size on Yun Zhi's bed, couldn't resist reaching out to give Yun Zhi's soft, squishy face a quick scrunch, and said with a mild smile, "Hurry up."

The dormitory had surveillance cameras that could observe everything inside, as well as audio recording equipment.

Fang Yixing took his clothes into the bathroom to change.

Yun Zhi slowly climbed out of bed, bent down to put on his shoes at a leisurely pace, and slowly folded his blanket.

He picked up the clothes Fang Yixing had left for him and shuffled toward the bathroom.

Click — the door opened.

What met his eyes was a body more perfect than a model's — skin cold and white, seeming almost to glow under the bathroom lights. The lines of his back were strikingly defined, his lean, narrow waist tapering down and disappearing into deep blue suit trousers.

Fang Yixing stood frozen, holding the white button-up shirt that the production team had given everyone. He had just undone the buttons — and hadn't put it on yet.

He turned slowly, and the clean, fluid lines of his abdominal muscles came into full view before Yun Zhi — lean and taut, full of tension.

Yun Zhi stared, utterly transfixed. He reached out absently and poked at the surface, felt the firm resistance, and let out a small gasp of amazement. "You have abs!"