The Spring Festival Fair at Shuyun Academy bloomed with color and life.
Bright red lanterns swayed above the courtyard, their tassels fluttering like lucky charms in the wind. Kites soared in the sky, their tails dancing lazily against a pale winter sun. The air smelled of fried dough, candied hawthorns, and fresh sugar, wrapping the whole scene in the nostalgia of childhood.
Children darted between stalls with painted cheeks and sticky fingers, their laughter tumbling over the upbeat music.
Li Wei stood by a table lined with student science projects, nodding with quiet encouragement as small hands gestured toward vinegar volcanoes and magnetic experiments. His smile was genuine here. His shoulders loose.
This was his world — where joy lived in small discoveries and cruelty had no place.
A world far from the cold marble silence of Chen Lihuan's penthouse.
He didn't expect to see Chen here. But of course, the Chen Group was the school's biggest sponsor.
And there he was — moving through the crowd like a ripple in still water. His presence bent the space around him without effort. Betas in tailored suits trailed close, their scents muted and deferential.
Li Wei didn't turn.
He focused harder on the student in front of him, speaking about baking soda and pH levels as if the faint shift in the air — the unmistakable thread of a dominant Alpha scent — didn't touch him.
Then it came.
A sound that split the day in two.
A sharp, high wail — not the petty cry of a child denied a treat, but something raw. An Omega's distress. Frantic. Unfiltered.
Li Wei's head snapped toward the stage.
A small boy stood frozen in the crowd, cheeks streaked with tears, scent spiking in sharp, chaotic bursts. Seven or eight, at most.
Xiao Li.
He knew him — a gentle child who startled easily. Now, he looked seconds away from collapse.
Nearby teachers hovered, murmuring comfort, but the Beta who tried to approach was met with flailing arms and a louder cry.
Li Wei was already moving.
Not rushing. Panic only bred panic. Instead, he walked with steady purpose, the kind that made people step aside without knowing why.
As he crossed the courtyard, he did something rare — he loosened his tight leash on his Omega scent.
It spilled into the air, warm and grounding. Like clean rain after a summer storm. Like earth after the first thaw.
Chen Lihuan had been half-listening to someone speak, irritation pricking at the noise — until he saw Li Wei striding through the thinning crowd. And then… he stopped.
Li Wei knelt in front of the boy. Not to grab. Not to restrain. Just to be level.
"Xiao Li," he said softly, voice threading calm through the noise. "Teacher Li is here."
The boy's eyes darted to him. Still trembling. Still wary. But not retreating.
Li Wei offered his hand — palm up, open, patient. "Can you tell me what happened?"
There was no force in his tone. No demand. Just space to be heard.
And it worked.
The boy's ragged breathing faltered. He edged forward, just enough for his small fingers to brush against Li Wei's.
Then a voice cut through the air — sharp and mocking:
> "Crybaby Omega!"
A boy, older, Alpha by scent and swagger, smirking at his audience.
Chen Lihuan saw it — the cruelty, the learned arrogance.
And then he saw Li Wei turn.
Gone was the soft teacher. In his place was something sharper, colder. His gaze locked on the boy with an authority that didn't need volume.
"That's enough."
Quiet. Steady. Absolute.
The air itself seemed to still. Even Chen, an Alpha, felt the weight behind the words — velvet sheathing steel.
The Alpha boy's smirk faltered. He mumbled something and disappeared into the crowd.
Just as quickly, the edge in Li Wei's eyes softened again. He turned back to Xiao Li. "He's gone," he murmured. "You're safe now."
He wrapped an arm gently around the boy's shoulders. "Breathe with me. In… and out… like we do in class."
Little by little, the child's scent steadied. His sobs became hiccups, then quiet.
Chen Lihuan didn't move.
He had seen discipline before. He had seen comfort. But this was different — a strength that didn't rely on force, a command that came from compassion instead of dominance.
The Omega who drifted like a ghost through his home was here fully alive. Fierce. Unyielding.
And it hit Chen with the weight of truth:
He had never really seen Li Wei.
And now that he had, he wasn't sure he could look away.