AN: To my patient and devoted readers, thank you for waiting. I had a bit of trouble with this chapter due to writer's block.

  *****

  Jun Yibai took his drink from Li Suren, offering to cover the breakfast.

  "My sweetie is so nice~" Li Suren cooed, linking arms with his beloved. He took comfort in the fact that Jun Yibai had used the omega's body wash today. It made his inner omega purr with satisfaction.

  "Chen Guiren can't join us so I should at least pay you back for making the trip." He expined, not fighting the omega's grip.

  "Oh?"

  Jun Yibai expined what had happened at the apartment, unsure how to proceed since the woman was a stranger to him.

  The two fell silent, walking side by side as they both had their own thoughts. While it was a seemingly small matter, it brought forth the chasm-deep divide between the trio.

  Over the st few weeks, Li Suren had come up with a million ways to ease things between them and Jun Yibai. Excuses that would sway the heart of even the most jaded man. Rationalizations that made him out to be the real victim in the situation. He'd even considered just straight-up confessing to the beta as a means to get him back.

  Yet when the time came, he couldn't make himself do it.

  With other people, it was easy to do. To manipute his opponent into siding with him despite the faults. To lead his prey to the watering hole he wanted them to.

  But Jun Yibai wasn't his opponent. He wasn't a stranger he felt no remorse over.

  He was his sweetie. The man who'd made his heart race before he even knew what that truly meant. The only person to break through the haze of boredom and restriction he'd lived through.

  The man who made him want to go against his grandfather's expectations for once.

  Li Suren, the beloved prince of the Li cn, could lead on his clients, lie to his friends, and even manipute his family.

  He could not, however, bear to lie to his sweetie.

  "I was wrong." He confessed, staring at the ground.

  Jun Yibai said nothing, standing still and letting the cool air brush their hair back. The sting felt good to Li Suren, making his words come out somewhat easier.

  "The engagement between Chen Guiren and I was a temporary solution but now it's become a major issue. I can't even say I forgot about it." He admitted, feeling a bit queasy.

  This was scary.

  He was trying to get everything out but all his polished excuses couldn't be used to make things better. He couldn't even bring himself to look at Jun Yibai, scared that his words would clog his throat if he saw his expression.

  So he pushed on.

  "I thought it was a good idea! I thought it'd be better since he and I wanted to be with you anyway. Moreover, it'd make it impossible for either of us to be paired up with anyone else."

  Damn it, he was making excuses again.

  "I'm sorry for lying to you for so long." He tried again, taking a shuddering breath. "I hadn't thought about how you'd after finding out the truth. I was just so happy you were willing to get close to us again. Still, I put you in such a position."

  "You did."

  "We made you the bad guy even though you were the one wronged."

  "Yes."

  "Yet you still gave us a chance."

  Jun Yibai snorted. "Despite my better judgment."

  That was what truly broke Li Suren. That his Sweetie, a man with so much to lose, would give them a chance. Despite how much it could ruin him, being around a pair of second-generation heirs, he hadn't given up on them. He kept being their friend. He defended them when he could despite being so much weaker.

  He was even willing to forgive them for lying to him for so long.

  Li Suren's vision started the blur, making it hard for him to see. Still, he didn't dare look up at Jun Yibai, choosing instead to cling to his arm.

  "I was wrong to keep this from you." He sniffled, burying his head in the beta's chest. "I really don't want to lose you."

  He didn't know for sure if his apology would be enough. Jun Yibai was willing to forgive them but he could just as easily choose not to.

  The thought of the beta truly cutting ties with them was heartbreaking.

  "Don't leave me..."

  ***

  At some point between Li Suren sobbing and him regaining his composure, the pair had moved to a slightly more secluded area on campus. Li Suren couldn't be sure if anyone saw them but was just happy he hadn't been left alone.

  Part of him, however, wished he had been. Then he'd be free from the jabs he was receiving from Jun Yibai.

  "How did I not know that you were such a crybaby all this time?" The beta chuckled, handing Li Suren a handkerchief. Jun Yibai had originally given him the tissues he always had on him but who knew that he'd run out before the omega was done?

  All he had left was the handkerchief Li Suren had given him for his birthday st year.

  "Don't be mean, Sweetie!" Li Suren, face flushed with embarrassment, compined. "I poured my heart out~"

  He truly had. He felt horrible now. His head was pounding and he felt like he couldn't get enough oxygen for a while.

  Worse, he knew he was ugly crying. While he didn't want to manipute his sweetie, what kind of partner wanted to be seen at their worst?

  He could only bme hormones from his heat for how emotional he was being. That was the only way he could live with this humiliation!

  Seeing the mortification on the omega's face, Jun Yibai chose to have a bit of mercy. While he had a dozen more jokes he could make, he didn't want to push too much.

  "You did a good job at that." He said, stroking the omega's cheek softly. "As long as you don't do shit like that again, I'll forgive you."

  Inwardly, Jun Yibai chastised himself for being so soft-hearted. He felt he should have been more stubborn but Li Suren really was cute when he cried like this. Was it because the man was usually so confident and poised that such a dispy was so appealing?

  Making a catty man like Li Suren go from bratty to tears... sounded really appealing.

  Li Suren, unaware of the dirty thoughts running through the beta's mind, was enjoying his gentle touch.

  Having his head stroked like he was a child was mortifyingly embarrassing but he couldn't help leaning into the touch. The distressed omega felt comforted by the touch, melting in the arms of his mate.

  The two sat together, enjoying a moment of peace before Jun Yibai remembered that had responsibilities.

  "As much as I'd like to stay, I do have other things to do." He grumbled, recalling that his csses would be starting soon. He had more than enough time to walk over but there were some things he wanted to ask the professor about.

  Li Suren pouted, hating that their private time was being cut short.

  "Sweetie~ Are you so cruel?" He compined, rubbing his head against the beta's shoulder. "Be more serious! Shouldn't you take responsibility for me?"

  "Responsibility?" He echoed, frowning. "Because you cried? Am I a tissue box, responsible for all the world's tears?"

  Li Suren felt his head pulse with frustration. He knew Beta didn't understand omega biology but he felt like this smart man he'd chosen should have realized SOMETHING was up st night.

  Before the omega could voice his disappointment, Jun Yibai spoke up again.

  "Or did you get pregnant after only a few hours?" He jokingly continued, pinching Li Suren's cheek. "Are omega's so special that they know so fast?"

  Li Suren thought about the many studies discussing how omega's had, throughout history, predicted their own pregnancies well before medical studies would notice the change but chose to refrain.

  "Perhaps so! An omega's heat is a prime opportunity to conceive."

  While Li Suren was mostly teasing, the thought of having Jun Yibai's baby was making his stomach tingle with excitement. It was a dumb thought but he liked the image of holding a child that he and his sweetie had created together.

  "On the first try?" Jun Yibai grumbled, breaking through the fantasy. "If it's that easy, I worry about the sudden baby boom we'll face in the future."

  "Who knows? Maybe that first try was a miracle shot?"

  "Don't be gross." He grimaced, feeling a bit unsure. While he didn't dislike the notion of having children, having them this young made him feel nervous. He hadn't even graduated yet so how could he take care of a child?

  While he might be the least influential of the three, Jun Yibai was still a man. If he was going to be in a retionship with these two, he was going to make sure he could take care of them.

  It was his pride as a man.

  After all, he was taught to be a responsible man and care for his wife and child. He couldn't mooch off said wife.

  "Try not to get pregnant right now." He stated after a while, crossing his arms with finality.

  "Is that something I can control!?" Li Suren cried, shocked by his decration. While he was happy he wasn't outright rejected, his sweetie was just being unreasonable. His medical expertise couldn't dictate his biology!

  "Make the effort."

  "It's not a thing that effort can dictate!"

  Li Suren was sure he wouldn't get pregnant this time around. The chances of getting pregnant on the st day of his heat were low. If he'd had sex with an alpha in a rut, he could say there was a higher chance due to sheer volume but his sweetie was a beta.

  Getting knocked up in this situation would actually be a miracle shot.

  Still, he was disappointed that only he was excited at the thought. He was sure his Sweetie would be just a little tempted by the thought. He liked this prince after all. So shouldn't he want to tie him down however he could?

  Li Suren getting pregnant would be a possible solution to the engagement problem too. It'd be messy but if he could get Chen Guiren to knock up Jun Yibai, it'd be just messy enough to warrant a change in engagement.

  Scandals were one thing but an impregnated male beta would be a medical marvel that could ease the distaste people feel. After all, weren't alpha/alpha pairings seen as wasteful until Chen Guiren's father conceived?

  He'd have to get that hooligan alpha to work harder if he wanted to make this a possible backup pn.

  "What about Chen Guiren?" Li Suren asked, already devising a pn to get the two alone and making babies!

  Jun Yibai, unaware of the scheming his partner was devising, shrugged casually. "He's not as eloquent as you so I doubt he'll apologize the same way."

  "So..."

  "You want him in this?" He asked, vaguely touching on the most pressing subject.

  Alpha and Omega's were very loyal to each other. Perhaps it was just their nature but both sub sexes tended to be very possessive of their partner. There have been many scandals about pairs of alpha or omega fighting over the same partner. It was messy.

  He knew they both wanted to be with him but he had no idea about their feelings for each other. Their general animosity toward one another was part of the reason he could never have imagined that they were engaged.

  Could they 'share' a partner?

  Li Suren gave him a confused look, truly surprised by the question.

  "Sweetie has seen us together, right?" He retorted, resting his chin on his palm. "Did it look like I didn't want that dumb mutt? Did he not like touching me?"

  Jun Yibai felt a bit embarrassed at the question.

  Thinking back, he realized he never asked about why he'd caught them in the shower the morning after his 'not date' with Li Suren. Even if that was a one-time deal, he'd watched them make out st night.

  They were certainly attracted to each other.

  Somewhat satisfied by the answer, Jun Yibai got up, intending to go to css. Li Suren, however, had other ideas.

  "Why can't I come with you?" He whined, pinching the edge of the beta's shirt.

  "Don't you have csses of your own?"

  Li Suren shrugged, not looking particurly concerned. The omega was studying medicine and from the tidbits he got from Yang Ru, he was sure the man must be busy.

  Yet somehow, he always found time to bother Jun Yibai. How?

  Li Suren smiled, not wanting to confess about his studies. It was certainly true that medicine was an intensive course of study. A regur student wouldn't have the time to even breathe let alone waste time pursuing a mate.

  Li Suren, however, wasn't a regur student.

  But he'd save that for ter. It was a bit hard to expin and it was legally questionable anyway. He doubted he'd be caught but it was best to not let it get out lest it pull his Sweetie into something troublesome.

  "I'm sort of interning at the moment. It's much more useful than just sitting at a desk." He expined, waving off the beta's questions.

  Jun Yibai wasn't dumb. He could see that the answer he got wasn't entirely honest. He just nodded, however, as he realized this might not be something he SHOULD ask about. Just like how he didn't think too deeply about what Chen Guiren did at work.

  It'd probably make him rethink his retionship with the pair.

  He'd already bitten the unknown fruit so how could he dare to scrutinize the tree now?

  "You can't come with me today." He stated, putting his foot down. "With how you look, have you not thought about me?"

  He thought about it for a second. Wouldn't it look bad for him to come into css with a red-eyed omega? Who would look at such a scene and not assume he was some kind of tyrant? A hooligan who had bullied the pure white lotus before showing him off to would-be rivals?

  ...He couldn't help but find the idea a little tempting but pushed it down as he stood firm.

  Eventually, he managed to convince Li Suren to stay behind rather than follow him to css. While he didn't mind the omega, being seen together would raise eyebrows and until the matter of their engagement was settled, it was best to stay out of the limelight.

  After confirming the details of his enrollment in the program with his professor, Jun Yibai found his schedule getting more stuffed. What little time he had was stuffed with extra lectures to get him caught up with the others in the program.

  He texted Li Suren and Chen Guiren the news, to which he received a call from both of them almost immediately. Once he rejected them twice, they got the hint and started rapid-fire texting him. Most of them were compints about how cruel he was to offer meat and take it away right after.

  He chose to ignore them for a while, knowing they'd get it out of their system in a few days.

  His prediction was half right.

  While the texts stopped after a few days into his new schedule, it was only because the pair had chosen to come to compin in person.

  However, the one to arrive was not the pair he expected to see.

  "Zhou Zhi? Zhou Jin?" Jun Yibai couldn't help but call out to the pair, mortified.

  [AN: For those confused, these two are part of the trio nicknamed 'Jii brothers'. They have been Chen Guiren's subordinates since high school. They are referred to as brothers due to their surnames sounding simir and their always being around one another. They are sorta like the Edd's]

  Zhou Zhi looked up, seemingly shocked to have been spotted by their target. The pair had been sent to escort Jun Yibai to their boss. Upon arrival, Zhou Zhi was excited, finding many beauties, and chose to use their free time to flirt.

  Unfortunately, the pair were not used to the type of girls that went to this university. These were either high-status heiresses or studious good girls. While the pair might be handsome enough to get a few looks, all their charm went away when they started talking.

  Long story short, the men failed to coax any women and were scolded by the girls who ran away indignant.

  Zhou Jin had just been smacked by one girl whose face was red after he proposed rather... upfront courtship activities. Perhaps had he spoken with a lower voice, they might have gotten something but the Zhou Zhi and Zhou Jin were very open with their desires. This left the girls flustered and too embarrassed to even consider their rendezvous.

  This is how Jun Yibai found them. Zhou Jin sat on the ground, holding his red cheek while Zhou Zhi snickered beside him, his cheek equally red.

  "Have you missed us brothers so much that you can't even bear to smile at us?" Zhou Zhi compined, his voice echoing through the hall. "Why grimace like that? Did we rob you? Why frown? It's all the same right?"

  "Perhaps Brother Jun is embarrassed by us!" Zhou Jin concluded, snorting derisively. "A few weeks into being here and he acts like he doesn't know us. I bet the toilets here smell like a summer's breeze, right?"

  He'd forgotten how vulgar they could be. Perhaps due to Chen Guiren's 'side hustle' they tend to say gross things like this with no care for who's around.

  Jun Yibai wanted to smack them for such a thing but refrained. These were Chen Guiren's people, not his.

  "Who wouldn't grimace at you? Who talks like that?" He snapped, covering his eyes to save himself the shame. "Is this pce your basement? Who gave you the guts to talk like some street hooligan anywhere you like?! Are you representing your esteemed brother or the gutter!?"

  Zhou Zhi and Zhou Jin's mouths snapped shut, flushing with embarrassment. The pair were not elite or rich students. They were below average and tended to speak frankly due to their rough environments. When they worked with Chen Guiren, there was no need for fancy or clean words so they never really thought about how appropriate it was to speak like that.

  This was also the reason Chen Guiren never had them accompany him to more high-scale meetings. The trio were not for polite company.

  "We would never insult big brother Chen!" Zhou Jin insisted, looking panicked. "He's our esteemed boss."

  "Your 'esteemed boss' goes to this school too." He seethed, grabbing the taller man's colr. "Are you so eager to embarrass him by making your connection evident to everyone here?"

  He could live with being associated with these two idiots. Everyone had the one person who they would rather not introduce to others but he'd be damned if these two messed with Chen Guiren's reputation.

  "Call him. Now." Jun Yibai ordered, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

  The alpha pair, feeling like they were being told to cut their own throats, reluctantly did as they were ordered. While the beta was smaller than them, they both knew he was tougher than he looked. Who else but this guy could make their boss bleed!? The man was made of steel and just smacking his arm felt like hitting a wall!

  As soon as the call connected, Chen Guiren's enraged voice rang out like a gunshot.

  "Did you get Master to come visit?" Chen Guiren snapped, sounding exasperated. There was the sound of a fight going on in the background, so he must have been 'working' today. "I swear, if you bastards got lost or made trouble, don't ask me to remember our brotherhood."

  "Oh, you remember such things but forget to consider my face?" Jun Yibai said with a low voice, his tone cutting through all the rage Chen Guiren was showing.

  "....M-Master?!" Chen Guiren stammered, his voice becoming weaker as he realized what was happening. "A-about this, I just-"

  "Where are you?" Jun Yibai interrupted, storming past the pair of alpha's who then followed after him meekly.

  "Eh?"

  The beta's eyes narrowed. "Where. Are. You."

  Chen Guiren shuddered, feeling the underlying threat under Jun Yibai's seemingly calm tone.

  He was mad.

  Despite that, Chen Guiren felt his stomach clench in anticipation. His blood was already pumping from the fight he'd had, so his mind was buzzing with possible scenarios.

  Chen Guiren told him about a location nearby, a hotel.

  "Does it have a gym?"

  "Yes?"

  "Reserve it. We need to talk about boundaries, it seems."

  Chen Guiren's heart was racing, feeling himself get hard. Were they... going to spar?! It had been so long and Chen Guiren's competitive spirit was aroused.

  The alpha in him wanted to pin his Master down.

  The man wanted to be pinned.

  Either way, Chen Guiren is over the moon with joy.

  *****

  AN: Thank you all for being so patient with me. I've taken on a new strategy for my csses, which has granted me a bit more free time.

  Manga suggestions:

  Scripting Seduction: Straight uncensored smut with a hiriously unique premise. FL is the FL of a 'turn your brain off' smut novel but not as a transmigrator or even a resident of the world. No, she is a character aware of her existence as a character in the novel who has to act out her role as the female lead. The problem is that none of the characters have the right personality to fulfill their role. ML #1 is supposed to be a cold sadist but is a marshmallow who yearns for a fluffy romance to be in. ML #2 is supposed to be the sweet second lead but is, in reality, a bitch (and not in the sense you think), and ML #3? Well, read and find out. Needlessly good art, a fun premise, and interesting scenarios.

  Horny Maso/sado FL x Demon soft boy, Degenerate Angel, and Mysterious other guy.

  I'm a Stand-in puppet for his Ex-Lover: [Shounen a MC is in a five-year retionship with his boyfriend when he learns that he is a substitute for ML's childhood friend. MC holds out hope but quickly gives up after all of ML's friends shit on him for 'standing between the loving couple' and ML just letting it happen. After they separate, ML deeply regrets his decision and wallows in misery.

  I love this comic cause after so many scummy ML's getting away with all their bullshit with just a sp on the wrists, it's nice to see one rightfully suffer. It goes on for a while but never feels out of pce since MC has suffered long before and ML deserves it since he never appreciated MC.

  The Second Dawn: [Yaoi/smut] MC is in a weird love triangle with his boyfriend who is engaged to be married and his boyfriend's cousin who is bckmailing MC about his retionship with his boyfriend. Despite him hating that his boyfriend has to get married, he sticks around since he loves the man who became crippled to save MC. He even agrees to remain together after his boyfriend's wedding.

  But then, the day after the wedding and after the cousin ends their 'retionship', MC gets hit by a car and wakes up back in college, before his tragedy starts. Determined to change the future, MC works together with Cousin to prevent the accident so that he and his boyfriend can be together. Yet as he tries to change the future, he comes to realize that there is a lot about the past and present that he hadn't realized until now.

  Oh boy, is this one a ride. I love it, I do but I just feel... kinda drained. Not in a bad way just... tired.