Noble Academy's Mob Character: Reborn as the Campus Heartthrob - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Boyfriend from the Dream

The opening ceremony was early tomorrow morning, and attendance was mandatory.

After Qi Yuan finished tidying his dorm room and mopping the floor, the residual water dried quickly.

His suitcase held little: a few sets of casual clothes and the school uniforms for the current season. At Weilika Academy, uniforms were compulsory. Getting caught without one by the Student Council meant punishment.

The Student Council President was He Zhou of the He family, one of the academy’s renowned F4.

Only students from equally top-tier families could defy him. Those with slightly lesser backgrounds were smart enough not to cross him—they knew their place and weren’t that foolish.

In his previous life, Qi Yuan had been conscripted into the Student Council for a month, so he had some understanding of He Zhou.

He Zhou was much like the descriptions on the school forums: meticulous, cold, and ruthlessly strict in enforcing the rules.

To be more precise, he was like a robot—devoid of personal thought, his every action dictated by regulations.

Of course, this was just Qi Yuan’s impression—an imagined, virtual construct. He had never truly interacted with He Zhou, only seen him a few times, so he didn’t know the man’s true character.

Nor did he have any desire to find out. Their paths were never meant to cross. Qi Yuan wasn’t one for gossip unless it was served to him on a silver platter; otherwise, he paid it no mind.

Fresh from the shower, his skin still glistened with droplets of water. His soft white shirt, soaked through, clung to his skin, offering a tantalizing glimpse of his lean, toned waist.

The washing machine beeped rhythmically.

Qi Yuan took out hangers and hung the freshly washed and spun-dry clothes on the balcony.

Once everything was in order, he sank into the bed, the clean scent of laundry detergent enveloping him.

After a full day of travel and hours of cleaning, his body was utterly exhausted.

He switched off the lights, leaving only the faint glow from the streetlamp below the balcony. Too tired to care, Qi Yuan closed his eyes. Moments after his head hit the pillow, he drifted into sleep.

Then, he began to dream—a strange and vivid dream.

A cool breeze caressed his cheeks, rustling the strands of hair falling across his forehead.

His lips, usually pale from malnutrition, now held a healthy pink hue.

A cold sensation spread across his palm.

Qi Yuan knew he was asleep, yet the unopened water bottle in his hand felt undeniably real—the texture of plastic, the chill of mineral water.

He looked up at the sky. It must be early morning; the sun had just risen, its light gentle and not yet harsh.

He was sitting on a bench beside the massive flowerbed in the academy’s garden. Instead of his school uniform, he wore a light blue shirt with a distinctive family crest on the hem, paired with light-colored jeans.

This is definitely Qi Yuan’s style, he thought, but what’s with this family crest?

He narrowed his eyes, his fingers gently rubbing the emblem on the hem of his shirt. He felt a nagging sense of familiarity, as if he’d seen it somewhere before, but the memory remained just out of reach.

If I can’t remember, I can’t remember. Qi Yuan didn’t dwell on it. It wasn’t something he needed to know right now.

Honestly, looking at the hyper-realistic surroundings, he briefly wondered if he had transmigrated again.

He stood up, placed the water bottle on the bench, and was about to explore when a scorching hand seized his wrist.

The heat startled him, sending a shiver through his body. He frowned and tried to shake the hand off, but the grip only tightened.

He spun around, ready to demand what the person wanted, but the words died in his throat before they could escape.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m late. Please don’t be angry.”

The voice was clear and bright, laced with an urgent, breathless quality.

Was he… worried?

Worried about what?

Qi Yuan had no idea. He stared at the person with a complex expression, utterly bewildered. It wasn’t just the words that had silenced him—it was the face.

If his memory served him right, this was one of the academy’s most renowned elites, wasn’t it?

“You Qinghe?”

Qi Yuan’s voice was laced with uncertainty.

He furrowed his brow in confusion, but to You Qinghe, it looked like anger.

“Baby, it’s me.”

You Qinghe’s eyes were red-rimmed, his fine, choppy bangs falling over his strong brow bones. His puppy-dog eyes shimmered with a pitiful glint.

He stood a good half-head taller than Qi Yuan, a towering one-ninety in height, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. The muscles on his exposed arms were defined but not exaggerated. Sweat, whether from the heat or nervousness, trickled down his shoulders and onto his chest.

You Qinghe cautiously stepped closer, lowering his head to gaze at Qi Yuan with undivided attention.

As he advanced, Qi Yuan retreated. Lost in thought, he met You Qinghe’s eyes for a fleeting moment before unnaturally looking away.

In his memory, You Qinghe had always been arrogant and untamable. Now… well…

I must be insane, Qi Yuan thought, to be dreaming of You Qinghe calling me ‘baby.’ Besides, I’m straight.

He couldn’t stand this kind of intimate atmosphere with another man.

He pressed his lips together and struggled again. You Qinghe, afraid of hurting him, loosened his grip slightly. He remembered a time when he’d accidentally held on too tight, causing Qi Yuan pain and nearly leading to a breakup.

That bastard had almost stolen Qi Yuan away. Luckily, You Qinghe had managed to coax him back in the end.

But just a few days later, he’d been tricked into pissing Qi Yuan off again.

If he couldn’t win him back this time, You Qinghe knew with chilling certainty that his baby would break up with him—no room for negotiation.

He loosened his grip as Qi Yuan struggled, his heart aching at the palpable rejection.

Qi Yuan had no interest in getting stuck with someone he didn’t know well and wasn’t interested in. In reality, he would never treat You Qinghe this way, but in a dream? Why bother with formalities?

Yes, I’m definitely dreaming, he concluded. Only in a dream could a plot this absurd unfold. He rubbed his wrist.

Seizing a moment when You Qinghe wasn’t paying attention, Qi Yuan said nothing and simply bolted.

What else am I supposed to do? he thought. Stand here staring at each other? How awkward is that?

But he didn’t get far. Holy shit. In the blink of an eye, he was back on the bench. Unwilling to accept it, Qi Yuan repeated the escape attempt. And again.

After a dozen loops, Qi Yuan was numb. He realized that if he didn’t try something different, he’d be stuck in this cycle until he died.

With no other choice, when You Qinghe pleaded, “Don’t be angry,” Qi Yuan deployed his simplest, most basic acting skills to placate him. “Okay, I’m not angry.”

Distracted, he missed the look of sheer delight that flashed across You Qinghe’s face.

It was the first time You Qinghe had been forgiven so easily. Does this mean… baby is starting to like me a little?

Internally thrilled, You Qinghe swallowed hard, his gaze on Qi Yuan turning greedy.

He couldn’t hide his desire, nor did he want to.

The next second, Qi Yuan’s face was gently cupped and kissed. The heavy breath of an adult male washed over his skin, and only then did Qi Yuan realize he wasn’t wearing his glasses.

The reverence in You Qinghe’s touch sent a wave of fear through him first, his long lashes trembling with his wide eyes. Then came the shame and fury of realization.

You Qinghe only kissed Qi Yuan’s cheek. Having just been forgiven, he didn’t dare push his luck. Satisfied, he licked his lips, the corners of his mouth curving upward.

Qi Yuan, who had just been inexplicably kissed: “…”

Aaaahhhhh!

I’m going to lose my mind!

I’m tainted! I’m tainted!

He felt like he was about to shatter, his mind consumed by the urge to kill the man.

But before he could throw a punch, the dreamscape began to dissolve. When Qi Yuan woke up, the sky was already bright.

Lying in bed, his heart a desolate wasteland, Qi Yuan was utterly helpless. He touched his cheek, still able to feel the phantom sensation of You Qinghe’s breath against his skin.

Am I in heat or something?

Dreaming about dating You Qinghe?

But that makes no sense! Even if I were to date someone, it shouldn’t be a guy!

Unable to make any sense of it, Qi Yuan could only dismiss the bizarre dream as a side effect of his rebirth. It was just a one-time thing, he hoped. It won’t happen again, right?

The opening ceremony was scheduled to begin at 9:30 AM.

Qi Yuan woke up early. For breakfast, he ate the discounted bread he’d bought on sale. He wouldn’t eat at the cafeteria until he received his meal card; there was no need to waste money.

The meal cards would be distributed tomorrow. He just had to endure one more day on the bread he’d brought—not a difficult task.

Weilika Academy’s uniform was a traditional suit, custom-tailored to each student’s measurements. The fabric was excellent and fit snugly, but it was also expensive. After all, this was a Noble Academy; the uniforms were never going to be cheap or poorly made.

Scholarship students received a discount, but the uniform still cost 10,000 yuan. Qi Yuan practically paid the sum with tears in his eyes.

He consoled himself by thinking of it as an early investment—one he would recoup handsomely after graduation.

Checking the time, he decided it was about right. He put on his jacket, slipped on the glasses from his desk, changed his shoes, grabbed his room key, and headed for the auditorium.

Dormitory 6 was the closest of all the dorms to the auditorium, only a seven- or eight-minute walk away.

So, instead of taking the campus shuttle, Qi Yuan chose to walk.

Once October passed, the temperature dropped sharply.

The mid-teens Celsius weather was perfect for a long-sleeved jacket. The path to the auditorium wound past the academy’s artificial lake.

He had set out early, so the path was still mostly empty.

As he walked along the lakeside trail, he saw several black and white swans gliding across the clear water. They were the headmaster’s pets, known for their foul tempers. In his past life, Qi Yuan had been pecked by one—it had hurt like hell, but he couldn’t retaliate and had to swallow the injustice.

At the memory, he silently retreated from the trail and cut through the trees to the main road on the other side.

The moment he emerged, Qi Yuan saw someone he never expected to see.

Fuck.

Without a second’s hesitation, he dove back into the bushes.

It was You Qinghe!

And he was flanked by his usual entourage of lackeys.

Qi Yuan was genuinely mortified. He had just dreamed about being in a relationship with the guy, and now, not long after waking up, he’d run into the man himself.

What kind of twisted fate is this…

Hiding himself completely, Qi Yuan huddled like a frightened quail, patiently waiting for them to leave.

Meanwhile, the man in question, You Qinghe, was in an extremely foul mood. The air around him crackled with suppressed fury, threatening to erupt at any moment. His followers exchanged nervous glances, none daring to speak.