The fluorescent lights hum overhead as I stand frozen in the hallway, my heart pounding against my ribs. Through the classroom window, I can see him - Shen Wenlang - surrounded by admirers yet somehow separate from them, like a king holding court among peasants. His uniform hangs perfectly on his lean frame, and even from this distance, I can make out the slight smirk on his lips as he listens to something one of his friends is saying.

This is the third time today I've deliberately passed his classroom. Each time, I tell myself it's just to check if he's there, to see if the rumors about him are true - that he's the one who increased the scholarship fund, that his family practically owns this school.

A sudden movement catches my eye. Shen Wenlang is looking directly at me. Through the glass, our eyes meet, and for a heartbeat that stretches into eternity, I can't breathe. There's something in his gaze - curiosity? Recognition? - before he turns away, dismissing me as easily as swatting a fly.

My face burns with humiliation. I should run, get back to my own classroom before the bell rings. But instead, my feet carry me closer, stopping just outside the door. I can hear fragments of their conversation now.

"...heard he's already got an offer from the national academy..."

"...omega cousin is totally obsessed with him..."

"Wenlang, you still not interested in anyone? There's plenty of available omegas throwing themselves at you..."

Shen Wenlang's voice cuts through the chatter, cold and dismissive: "Omegas are too clingy. All they want is my status. Give me a beta any day - less drama."

My blood runs cold. The bell rings, jolting me from my stupor. I need to move, to disappear before anyone notices me lingering here. But as I turn to flee, I collide with someone behind me - sending my books scattering across the floor.