Chapter 1

Every morning, Lin Hao woke up with the exact same goal.

To survive the day without running into Gu Yichen.

It wasn't an impossible wish.

Unfortunately, fate seemed to have a personal grudge against him.

With a groan, he reached for his phone on the bedside table. The alarm had already stopped ringing, leaving the room unusually quiet. Soft morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting golden streaks across his bedroom floor.

Another morning.

Another school day.

Which also meant...

Another day of dealing with that insufferable Alpha.

Just thinking about Gu Yichen was enough to sour his mood.

Ever since they were little, Gu Yichen had made it his lifelong hobby to make Lin Hao's life miserable.

He stole food off his plate whenever he had the chance.

He flicked his forehead so often that Lin Hao was convinced he'd permanently damaged his brain.

He mocked him whenever he lost his temper.

Beat him in every competition imaginable.

And even when he wasn't doing anything...

Simply seeing his face was enough to ruin Lin Hao's entire day.

He let out a long sigh before flopping back onto the bed, burying his face in the pillow.

Couldn't that guy just move abroad?

Somewhere ridiculously far away.

Like Antarctica.

...

No.

That wouldn't work either.

Gu Yichen's family was far too nice.

Aunt Gu always remembered his favorite desserts and insisted he take extra portions whenever he visited.

Uncle Gu never returned from a business trip empty-handed. Somehow, there was always a gift waiting for him.

Even Gu Yichen's older siblings treated him like family.

They were all wonderful people.

Which made it even more unfortunate that Gu Yichen existed.

A sharp knock interrupted his thoughts.

Before he could answer, the bedroom door opened, revealing a tall figure leaning casually against the doorframe.

"Still alive?"

Lin Hao raised his head and rolled his eyes.

Only his older brother would use that as a morning greeting.

Lin Jian.

Twenty-two years old.

An Alpha.

The eldest son of the Lin family.

And somehow...

Already married.

To this day, Lin Hao still couldn't figure out how he'd managed that.

His brother-in-law was practically the definition of perfection.

Gentle.

Kind.

Soft-spoken.

And ridiculously adorable.

Sometimes he'd watch the two of them together and seriously wonder what kind of miracle had happened for someone like his brother to end up with someone like him.

Life truly worked in mysterious ways.

Lin Jian frowned when he noticed him staring.

"What?"

Lin Hao rested his chin on his hand and answered honestly.

"I'm just wondering how brother-in-law manages to tolerate you."

"..."

His brother's eyebrow twitched.

"Get up."

Lin Hao couldn't help laughing.

"Mom said breakfast's ready," Lin Jian added before turning around.

"I'll be there."

The door closed behind him.

Peace returned to the room...

For exactly three seconds.

The door swung open again.

This time, a girl with shoulder-length hair peeked into the room. Though she was the youngest in the family, she was already almost as tall as Lin Hao.

A mischievous smile immediately spread across her face.

Seeing that smile alone made Lin Hao instinctively suspicious.

"Brother~"

Here we go again.

"What?"

Lin Jia clasped her hands behind her back, trying—and completely failing—to hide the excitement dancing in her eyes.

"Brother Yichen texted me."

Silence.

Lin Hao grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at her without hesitation.

"Get out."

She squealed and dodged it effortlessly.

"You're so mean!"

"Leave."

"Okay, okay."

Still laughing, she darted out of the room before he could find another pillow to throw.

The little traitor.

His own biological sister had chosen the enemy's side.

All because Gu Yichen occasionally bribed her with snacks.

What a cheap betrayal.

After changing into his school uniform, Lin Hao headed downstairs.

The rich aroma of breakfast greeted him the moment he reached the dining room. His father was already reading the morning newspaper while sipping a cup of coffee. Across from him sat Lin Jian, lazily scrolling through his phone with one hand and eating with the other. Lin Jia was happily stealing slices of bacon from everyone's plate whenever they weren't paying attention.

Some habits never changed.

"Good morning," Mrs. Lin greeted with a warm smile as she placed another dish on the table.

"Morning," Hao replied, pulling out a chair and taking his seat.

The meal began peacefully.

The clinking of chopsticks mixed with occasional small conversations, creating the familiar warmth that filled the Lin household every morning.

For a few minutes, everything was perfectly normal.

Too normal.

Hao narrowed his eyes slightly.

Years of experience had taught him one thing.

Whenever breakfast became this peaceful...

Someone was about to ruin it.

Right on cue, his mother looked up.

"Hao."

He looked back at her.

Mama Lin smiled gently.

The moment Hao saw that smile, an uneasy feeling settled in his chest.

That smile never brought good news.

"I've told you this so many times," she said patiently. "Don't fight with Yichen all the time. He's not a bad boy."

Hao nearly choked on his rice.

He coughed twice before quickly reaching for the glass of water beside him.

Not a bad boy?

Did he hear that correctly?

For a brief second, Hao genuinely wondered if today was April Fool's Day.

Slowly, he looked at his mother.

Then at his father.

Then at Lin Jian.

Finally, his gaze landed on Lin Jia, who was happily eating as if nothing unusual had just been said.

Not a single person looked surprised.

Hao was speechless.

Had everyone in this family secretly lost their minds?

Gu Yichen...

Not a bad boy?

The same Gu Yichen who used to steal the biggest chicken leg from his lunchbox whenever they had family gatherings?

The same Gu Yichen who laughed so hard he almost cried after Hao slipped into a muddy puddle when they were ten?

The same Gu Yichen who flicked his forehead whenever he won an argument, then acted as if he had done nothing wrong?

That Gu Yichen?

Hao suddenly felt like he was the only normal person left in the house.

His family had to be seeing a completely different Gu Yichen.

"Hao?" Mrs. Lin called again when he didn't respond. "Are you listening?"

He let out a quiet sigh.

"Yes."

"No fighting."

"...Okay."

Only after hearing his answer did Mrs. Lin nod in satisfaction and continue eating.

Hao lowered his head and silently picked up another bite of food.

Meanwhile, inside his head, he was busy updating an imaginary list.

Reasons Why Gu Yichen Is the Most Annoying Person Alive.

The list had become so long over the years that he was beginning to wonder if he should publish it as a book one day.

Just as Hao thought the conversation was finally over, Mrs. Lin looked at him once again.

"Hao..."

He looked up suspiciously.

"What now?"

Without answering, Mrs. Lin stood from her chair and disappeared into the kitchen.

A few moments later, she returned with a neatly packed lunch box in her hands.

The instant Hao saw it, a bad feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.

"...No."

Mrs. Lin blinked.

"You don't even know what I'm going to say."

Hao didn't hesitate for even a second.

"It's for Gu Yichen."

A smile immediately appeared on his mother's face.

"It is for Gu Yichen."

"I knew it."

Walking over to the table, Mrs. Lin placed the lunch box right in front of him.

"I made Yichen's favorite food."

Hao lowered his gaze to the lunch box.

Then slowly looked back at his mother.

"...Why?"

"Because I wanted to."

"Then give it to him yourself."

Mrs. Lin rolled her eyes as if her son's answer was completely unreasonable.

"You two are in the same class."

"So?"

"So take it with you and give it to him."

"No."

"Hao."

"No."

"It doesn't cost you anything."

"It costs me my peace."

The moment those words left his mouth, Lin Jia burst into laughter.

Even Mr. Lin lowered the newspaper in front of him, the corners of his lips lifting into an amused smile.

Only Mrs. Lin remained completely unfazed.

She simply looked at Hao and called his name again.

"Hao."

He immediately knew he had lost.

It was the tone every child recognized.

The discussion was over.

With the deepest sigh known to mankind, Hao reached out, picked up the lunch box, and held it against his chest as though accepting the world's greatest punishment.

"You're all unbelievable."

Mrs. Lin smiled brightly.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

Hao wasn't fooled.

That wasn't gratitude.

That was the smile of a parent celebrating victory.

Across the table, Lin Jia rested her chin on one hand, her gaze moving from their mother to Hao.

A knowing smile slowly crept onto her face.

Sometimes, she genuinely wondered if their mother was trying to make Brother Hao and Brother Yichen get along.

Ever since they were little, she had always found one excuse after another to push the two together.

Family dinners.

Holiday gatherings.

Now...

Even lunch boxes.

Too bad her mother didn't realize one very important thing.

Those two could start arguing over absolutely anything.

Give them five minutes in the same room, and they'd probably end up fighting over who got the last piece of chicken.

Lin Jia quietly shook her head.

Mother was far too optimistic.

"Brother Yichen is going to be so happy," she teased with a grin.

Hao immediately pointed a finger at her.

"Keep talking, and you're walking to school alone."

Jia instantly made a zipping motion across her lips.

A wise choice.

A few minutes later, the siblings grabbed their school bags and headed toward the front door.

Unfortunately for Hao...

He was now carrying a lunch box filled with Gu Yichen's favorite food.

What a terrible way to start the morning.

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Author : I can't update daily because of studies.....so sorry..... I'll give you intro in next chapter....

Author's Note – World Setting

Before you begin reading, here are a few rules about the Omegaverse world in this story.

Second Genders

Everyone is born as either an Alpha, Omega, or Beta. Their second gender is already known from birth, so there is no surprise reveal later.

Turning Eighteen

Although everyone knows their second gender, Alphas and Omegas do not experience heats, ruts, or recognize their fated mates before the age of 18.

Only after turning 18 years old do they:

- Begin experiencing their natural heat or rut cycles.

- Become able to recognize their fated mate if they have one.

Mates

Not everyone must be with their fated mate. If someone chooses not to accept their fated mate—or never finds one—they are free to choose their own partner instead.

These are the rules followed throughout this story.