87: 3.27 Personal Good Luck Charm

3.27 Personal Good Luck Charm

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, to the most awaited event on the Flower Festival: Arena Fighting!" Heavy cheers and whistles accompanied the MC's greeting as the stages appeared in the middle of the school yard. There were 10 identical rings elevated on the higher ground. Drones flew in the air, capturing the scene and projecting it throughout the whole kingdom. "The betting pool is open now! Start to choose your fighter! First, let's welcome our first twenty contestants!" The hologram screen was showing ten pairs of generator machines and with the MC's cue, the machines started rolling. "Here we are! Our first pair for the day…"2

"I have to go." Lu Yizhou said to Oliver, his tone contained barely visible reluctance. "The event is starting."

Oliver swallowed thickly, trying to contain his disappointment and longing. However, something must have shown in his face because Lu Yizhou's expression shifted minutely and the Alpha took him off guard by pressing a chaste kiss on his forehead, gentle and affectionate. Oliver's heart did a backflip as his eyes followed the Alpha's thin and sexy lips. He swallowed. It was so unfair… How could he do this all of a sudden? How could Oliver let him go now?

Lu Yizhou rubbed his head and gave him one last glance before turning away.

Unable to resist, Oliver called out to him. "Altair!"

Lu Yizhou turned. "Hmm?"

"No...it's nothing." Oliver held back what he was going to say and smiled instead. "Good luck and be careful. Don't get injured."

A fleeting smile made its way to the Alpha's lips. It was so beautiful that the air left Oliver's lungs. After that, Lu Yizhou continued walking and Oliver's eyes didn't leave his back until he disappeared beyond the corner. He inhaled deeply and produced a small vial from his pocket. A hint of struggle appeared in his eyes before he let out another sigh and put the vial back into his pocket.

***

The first round lasted three whole days with 250 rounds in total that would be divided into ten different rings. Lu Yizhou waited for a whole day and his name didn't come up on the screen, nor did Ryan. The thing about sharing the same waiting room meant that Lu Yizhou would be stuck with him until one of them was called away. He would rather be anywhere than here but Lu Yizhou was too lazy to move again. His bones often cracked in the middle of the night and his whole body felt sluggish. Somehow, he began to anticipate the time when his turn arrived, he even entertained the idea of meeting the main protagonist in the first round and KO him in an instant.

Of course, that was just wishful thinking. Lu Yizhou knew that the world would always side with Ryan and it was impossible for him to be eliminated so soon.

He was proven right when Ryan's name appeared on the generator at noon the second day. His rival was a 25-years-old tiger Alpha. Ryan stood up and straightened his shirt. When he passed by Lu Yizhou who was resting his eyes, he deliberately paused and let out a thread of pheromones meant to provoke before leaving. The corner of Lu Yizhou's mouth twitched and he opened his eyes after the door closed behind Ryan. "Childish." He sneered.

After that, he took out a dose of stabilizer the doctor prescribed him and stabbed it into his arm, watching as the liquid flowed into his system. 

Ryan fought with deliberate strength. It was obvious that the tiger Alpha wasn't his opponent but he played with him on purpose and dragged the fight until the last minute, giving the impression of them being the same level. The timer ticked down to the last thirty seconds and he finally pounced onto the tiger Alpha, using his whole weight to suppress him down and knocked him out cold with a few punches. Ding! The screen recorded his score and pronounced him as the winner and the omegas below the ring cheered for him. Ryan harrumphed proudly and stood up. Faint layer of sweat covered his tan skin and he brought his shirt up to wipe his forehead, revealing a glimpse of toned abs, dripping with pheromones all over. The screams grew louder and wilder. 

As he did that, he looked around casually but didn't spot the figure he was looking for.

He frowned. Did Prince Oliver not come today? 

No, he was supposed to. Ryan knew that yesterday, the Prince had come to ask for Altair and it made him so incensed. The omega rejected him vehemently but obediently stuck himself to that bastard Alpha. What was so different between them? Fine, Ryan knew that he might be intimidated at first but it was just because he was taken off guard! If he properly made some preparations, who knew who would win among them? 

Originally, Ryan wanted to give a magnificent performance to show Oliver that he was also a strong Alpha—and kind, funny, gentle, attentive, which were the traits which the uptight and boring Altair didn't have—but he was instantly deflated when he couldn't find the omega anywhere. Tons of omegas were cheering for him but none was the one he was looking for. He wanted Oliver's eyes on him; wanted that omega to realize all of Ryan's attractive traits and most importantly, wanted him to regret choosing another Alpha over him. It wasn't like he was attracted to Oliver or something. It's just that his pride couldn't stomach it, knowing that he could have a royalty omega as a mate but he ended up losing the opportunity because of a random busybody Alpha.

Altair… Ryan gnashed his teeth hatefully. He swore he would win against Altair in this competition and obtained victory; no matter what it took!

***

"Let's welcome our next pair. Match 212…" The machine rolled until it stopped on two names. "Zayn versus Altair!"

Lu Yizhou's turn finally arrived on the third day, nearly the end of the first round. Even before he appeared, the cheers and whistles exploded like burst of fireworks. It was significantly louder than any matches before. The omegas in school had seen the horned and winged beastman once before. Words spread from mouth-to-mouth, each was more extravagant than ever and then people started to get curious of how amazing this Alpha looked like. Some wanted to see how a winged beastman looked while the others were dubious of the truth because winged beastman were very rare. They flocked to the ring where the match would be held and as a result, the other rings became much more desolate and barren. 

Oliver stood on the third floor of the building with a binocular in his hands, brows furrowing in concentration. Zayn—the bear Alpha—went on stage. He was burly and huge; significantly larger than Lu Yizhou by a head or two and when he flexed his biceps, Oliver and everyone else could see how the movement strained his shirt to the point where the fabric almost tore. It was obvious that Zayn enjoyed the attention he was getting even though it wasn't meant to be directed for him. Zayn prowled around the stage, howling and when the enthusiasm peaked, he promptly tore his shirt off and went bare chested. 

Oliver showed a disgusted look. "Ew." He scrunched his eyes shut a moment to spare himself from the revolting sight. When he looked through the binoculars again, Zayn was still alone on the stage. "Where's Altair anyway?" He murmured anxiously.

"Here."

Oliver gasped in shock and almost dropped his binocular from the third floor. He whipped his head around but only saw the empty hallway. Everyone chose to be closer to the ring, unlike Oliver who was exasperated even by the mere thought of squeezing with the crowd like sardines. "A—Altair?" He called out nervously. What's wrong? Was he hallucinating?

But the voice came again, this time with a hint of amusement. "Here." 

Oliver turned his head in disbelief. Lu Yizhou was flying outside the third floor window, right in front of Oliver with his hand holding the window sill. His wings spread wide, dark feathers contrasting against the clear blue sky and drifting petals, such a magnificent sight to see and Oliver would very much like to appreciate it longer if not for the urgent situation they were in. "Altair!" He cried out in surprise. "What are you doing here?! The match is starting! If you're late, they are going to eliminate you!"

No hint of nervousness could be detected from the Alpha's face as if he couldn't care less about the competitions. Under Oliver's anxious gaze, he showed the messy white bandage around his hands. "I need someone to fix this for me."

Oliver gaped and blinked a few times. "You… Come here!" Albeit blushing, Oliver still nagged. "Why are you so spoiled? You can do it on your own, can't you? Were you searching for me all these while? What would you do if you didn't find me?!" The more Oliver thought about it, the angrier he was and he couldn't help but smack Lu Yizhou lightly on his shoulder. This was a national competition! If it was ruined then Altair would have no reputation left to uphold! How should he face the Emperor next? Would—Would the Emperor still grant him permission to wed Oliver then?!

"I can." Lu Yizhou said softly. "I can always find you."

Oliver's movement faltered for a split second before he tied the end of the bandage into a tight knot. He hesitated for a second before gently holding Lu Yizhou's hands together and dipped his head low to drop a soft kiss on his knuckles, lashes fluttering. Only after he straightened up did he realize what he had done. "I—It's a good luck charm!" He exclaimed with beet red face in an attempt to rectify.

Lu Yizhou stared at him quietly, so long that Oliver almost lost his composure. But in the end, he merely chuckled, deep and amorous. Just like how he did it two days ago, Lu Yizhou brought his knuckles to his mouth and kissed it, right on the spot where Oliver's lips were a few seconds ago. "En, my personal good luck charm."

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