Don't pretend, everyone knows you're the villain!

Yin Zhaoshu didn't continue eating. He had already eaten most of what he wanted, and the interruption earlier had made him lose his appetite.

I picked up two plates and got up to place them on the cart for collecting dirty dishes.

Xie Sichen felt warmed by the other person's gesture of helping her clear the dishes.

He was quite thoughtful; his help to Yin Zhaoshu wasn't in vain.

Just as he was about to leave the cafeteria, Yin Zhaoshu suddenly turned to the side.

"Xie Sicen, are we still friends?"

Xie Sicen stopped abruptly, looking bewildered.

"Huh??? You're not going to stop being friends with me just because I got into a fight? I wasn't bullying my classmates... I was just trying to help someone in need."

"If it weren't for the fact that they were bullying you, I wouldn't have bothered to get involved. And you? You can easily suppress your pheromones, so why did you just stand there and let them bully you?"

Xie Sichen's gaze fell on Yin Zhaoshu's still swollen face. She had wanted to say something, but Yin Zhaoshu acted as if nothing was wrong and even ate with her. Perhaps alphas are strong and resilient, and don't care about such a minor injury?

Yin Zhaoshu knew that Xie Sicen had acted so decisively just now to stand up for him, but in his memory, apart from Qi Zhiyu, no one had ever stood up for him before.

What's more, it's a beta standing in front of him, going head-to-head with a group of alphas.

Is this what it feels like to be Xie Sicen's friend?

Even if it causes trouble for the other person, should we still be friends?

However, Xie Sicen did all this for a reason, because the other party did not understand her and was unaware of her rumors.

“Ignore them, they’ll make a fool of themselves and leave. Those guys have powerful connections, and fighting back will get you punished.”

Look at what they're saying! Self-defense gets you punished? Is this some kind of victim-blaming theory? It's all about whoever has power and influence being right.

Excuse me, but being born into the right family is a skill, and he is now General Xie's only son.

Even if you randomly pick a junior member with the surname Xie who is not favored, the Xie family will not allow outsiders to bully the younger generation in the family.

Not to mention that Xie Sicen grew up being cared for and protected by Wen Xianling. Even though he was often beaten by Xie Yuan, Xie Yuan would not allow her son to be bullied by outsiders.

Putting aside the fact that Xie Sichen was provoked first and that Xie Yuan was acting entirely out of a sense of justice, the fact that Xie Sichen, a beta, defeated a group of alphas was such a prestigious achievement that Xie Yuan would probably drive her mech around the school with firecrackers to celebrate.

Even if Xie Yuan's bloodline is beta, it's still stronger than some alphas. She might even need to send Xie Sichen to the army for special training beforehand.

Seeing Yin Zhaoshu's lowered eyes, Xie Sicen felt a mix of emotions.

Even if Yin Zhaoshu loves Qi Zhiyu, she doesn't have to endure so much bullying.

First and foremost, a person must be a complete self.

Only by loving yourself can you better love others. How pathetic it is to expect others to love you if you don't even love yourself.

You might recklessly break yourself to pieces and then piece yourself back together to love the other person in a way that they like. But you should also consider whether the other person is worth throwing yourself at.

"I can't be as magnanimous as you, able to tolerate their arrogance. I'm the kind of person who holds grudges and can't stand the slightest grievance since I was a child."

“My mother beats me, and if I can’t beat her, I just take it. If a stranger provokes me, I’ll beat him so badly that his parents won’t recognize him. If I can’t beat him, I’ll call for help. Anyway, I’m not the type to be bullied, and I can’t stand it if my friends are bullied either.”

Xie Sicen's lovely face was full of serious expression.

Yin Zhaoshu thought to himself, "It's really great to be Xie Sicen's friend."

After speaking, Xie Sichen picked up her hat, feeling unlucky. If it weren't for those alphas, she'd probably be wearing it on her head right now. She didn't know who stepped on it during the fight, and there was a big shoe print on it; she was disgusted.

Yin Zhaoshu also noticed that Xie Sicen suddenly stared gloomily at the hat in her hand, looking slightly displeased.

She gently reached out to Xie Sicen, "I'll wash your hat for you."

Xie Sichen stared at Yin Zhaoshu and moved the hand holding her hat back.

"You didn't wash my hat because you felt bad for standing up for me, did you? If that's the case, just forget it. I consider you a friend, there's no need to be so calculating."

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhaoshu smiled faintly, but as the smile widened, he belatedly realized that there was a stinging pain at the corner of his mouth.

"Can't even a friend wash your hat for you?"

Xie Sichen also knew that this was just a way of saying things in a more tactful and acceptable way.

“Okay. I always have to give my friends a chance to shine. From now on, this hat will be a symbol of our close relationship.”

Xie Sicen handed the dirty hat to Yin Zhaoshu, who took it and held it in his hand.

Looking at the hat, Xie Sicen still asked with unease, "Yin Zhaoshu, you really consider me a friend, right?"

Yin Zhaoshu's eyes showed doubt.

Xie Sichen muttered her inner thoughts under her breath, "I just feel like it's my wishful thinking that you're friends with me. After all, I was the one who forced you in the first place..."

Yin Zhaoshu understood, chuckled, and asked in a gentle tone.

"Do you think an alpha like me can force a beta like me to do this?"

"What?! I just beat those alphas to a pulp! Yin Zhaoshu, friends should respect each other! You can't discriminate based on gender."

At this moment, Xie Sicen looked exactly like a little beast with its fur standing on end in Yin Zhaoshu's eyes.

Xie Sichen, a beta, has the face of an omega, but also the height and strength of an alpha—a truly bizarre combination.

In an instant, the previously zero love value suddenly fluctuated to one, and it finally opened up.

"No, you are very strong, stronger than many alphas. I have always respected you as a friend, and this is not sexism. Regardless of your gender, your strength is a fact that no one can take away."

Xie Sicen's expression softened a bit, and then she heard Yin Zhaoshu continue speaking.

"Xie Sicen, I misspoke. What I meant to say was that being friends with you is something I did willingly, without any coercion."

"As a friend, I feel I should be honest with you about myself."

Xie Sicen knew what Yin Zhaoshu was talking about.

“I’ve said I don’t believe rumors. I only believe what I see with my own eyes and my own feelings. Even if you’re rumored to be utterly wicked, if we click, we can be friends. If we don’t click, no matter how good your reputation is, we’re not on the same wavelength.”

"Furthermore, judging from your pheromone release just now, you can't possibly be like the rumors suggest. You're clearly keeping a low profile and concealing your strength."

Yin Zhaoshu did not correct Xie Sicen's words.

"By the way, your boyfriend probably doesn't know you're being bullied, right? Otherwise, he would have stood up for you a long time ago. After all, if even your friends can't stand it, someone who likes you would definitely not be able to tolerate it at all."

0561's eyes widened in disbelief; he hadn't expected such a divisive tactic.

The host is just stirring up trouble.

Yin Zhaoshu felt uneasy upon hearing this, and his mood became somewhat downcast.

How could Qi Zhiyu not know these things?

In fact, it wasn't that Yin Zhaoshu was trying to keep it a secret; rather, Qi Zhiyu kept telling him not to cause trouble and to just endure the beatings and scoldings from others. Qi Zhiyu said she didn't want to hear about his expulsion from school, as it would make her very sad.

"It's my fault for not being able to protect him. I can't let my unresolved issues interfere with him further."

Xie Sicen smiled understandingly, "I understand, I only report good news, not bad news."