Noble Academy's Mob Character: Reborn as the Campus Heartthrob - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Asura Field in Progress

Even if my Dreamscape self was two-timing, how is that my fault?! Qi Yuan felt utterly defamed by You Yuanxiu’s accusations, like he was about to split in two. To be honest, he had never imagined himself being entangled with someone so unruly. His real-world self was perfectly proper and law-abiding.

Besides, he hadn’t chosen his dreams—so why was he being blamed?

Even if it all came to light later, Qi Yuan could still stand his ground with righteous indignation. Of course, to others, such audacity would be seen as shamelessness. But he was genuinely wronged! What kind of absurd dreamscape was this, anyway?!

Over the days since his rebirth, Qi Yuan had experienced many Dreamscapes, which had indeed raised his tolerance and expanded his capacity for acceptance. But they couldn’t just hit him with such a bombshell all at once!

Yet reality had forced his tolerance to skyrocket again. Accept it or not, he had no choice.

Qi Yuan felt like he was dying a little inside—and that wasn’t an exaggeration.

Moreover, he thought his Dreamscape self was incredibly reckless, completely unafraid of being torn apart by the two brothers if things went south.

He felt that no matter how deep one’s love, discovering their partner had cheated would be unbearable—a harsh reality.

Yet Qi Yuan, stroking his chin, wondered if things might play out differently in the Dreamscape.

Never mind.

Overthinking it won’t help.

The most important thing now is not to get caught!

What You Yuanxiu thinks is none of my business. The best thing is for him to see me as a bad man, so he won’t connect me to his online lover.

Having clarified his thoughts and adjusted his mindset, Qi Yuan felt a weight lift.

Though seeing You Yuanxiu’s restless messages still irritated him, Qi Yuan simply pretended not to notice, responding casually as if the conversation had nothing to do with him.

Xu Yuan (Qi Yuan): Why do you say that? Has he done something wrong?

You Yuanxiu: Sweetheart, you should know that the way he charmed You Qing into bringing him home to meet her family shows he’s no ordinary man.

You Yuanxiu didn’t want to speak ill of others casually, but he believed Xu Yuan (Qi Yuan) was utterly naive. He needed to warn his lover about You Qinghe’s boyfriend before they met in person and brought him home.

It was a fact that he couldn’t always be by his beloved’s side. He couldn’t chain him to his side, even though You Yuanxiu would gladly do so. But he knew it was impossible. He feared that when he wasn’t around, his beloved would be bullied, deceived like You Qinghe had been. It would be best if they never became friends at all.

You Yuanxiu: His intentions aren’t pure.

Xu Yuan (Qi Yuan): You Yuanxiu, if you’re going by that logic, then my intentions aren’t pure either.

Xu Yuan (Qi Yuan): He and I are just ordinary people, while you and You Qinghe are from a wealthy family. In your eyes, You Qinghe’s partner isn’t genuine—not a good person. But have you ever considered that to your brother, my online persona—me—might also seem insincere, not someone decent either?

You Yuanxiu: Sweetheart, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to belittle you with my words earlier. Don’t be angry.

You Yuanxiu: But it’s true, you’re different in my heart. I’m just worried—worried that after we meet in person and I bring you back to the You Family, you’ll be all alone when I’m not around, completely unaware, and he’ll take advantage of you.

You Yuanxiu: I’m sorry, I was overthinking things. I’ll never say anything like that again that upsets you.

Self-bullying?

Qi Yuan genuinely couldn’t grasp You Yuanxiu’s train of thought. Love is blind, as the saying goes, and this must be it.

But You Yuanxiu never stopped to consider his own actions. He repeatedly claimed that You Qinghe was being manipulated, desperate to tell everyone she had a boyfriend—someone she wanted to spend her life with. According to him, You Qinghe was too impulsive and her boyfriend was cunning.

Yet wasn’t he doing the exact same thing?

Gifting You Family shares to his online lover and clearing every obstacle in their path.

In truth, the two brothers were two sides of the same coin—neither better than the other. Let the younger brother not criticize the elder, and the elder refrain from judging the younger.

Qi Yuan was speechless, wanting to offer no further judgment.

Besides, You Yuanxiu was getting ahead of himself. Bringing me home? Wait till he finds out his online lover is me—then we’ll see if he still wants to bring me home.

Xu Yuan (Qi Yuan): I know you mean well, You Yuanxiu, but you need to understand that judging someone’s character requires getting to know them first, not jumping to conclusions.

You Yuanxiu: Sweetheart, it’s my fault. I was indeed prejudiced. I promise it won’t happen again.

Xu Yuan (Qi Yuan): Hmm, I have something I need to take care of. Let’s chat again when I have time.

You Yuanxiu: Okay, I’ll wait for you.

Qi Yuan hadn’t expected You Yuanxiu to be so obedient. Where was the ruthless decisiveness of a domineering CEO? All he saw was You Yuanxiu following every command like a well-trained hound.

And which domineering CEO apologizes so promptly and decisively?

He’d never encountered one like that.

Perhaps his experience was too limited.

The only CEO Qi Yuan remembered was the one from his previous life’s internship. The man was notoriously difficult to deal with—nitpicky to an extreme—but his generous compensation made up for it.

After all, nothing in this world is perfect. What appears flawless on the surface might be rotten to the core, while something with visible flaws might actually be safer to approach.

The study was utterly silent, its soundproofing excellent. Apart from the rustle of You Yuanxiu flipping through documents, there was no other sound.

Qi Yuan wasn’t one to disturb someone when they were busy; it was impolite.

Besides, he had no desire to interact with You Yuanxiu.

After all, in the other man’s eyes, he was just a villainous schemer who had deceived his younger brother.

Death grinned.

Qi Yuan knew You Yuanxiu wouldn’t change his attitude just because his online boyfriend spoke up for him. He’d only think, Sweetheart is such a kind soul.

If preconceived notions were that easy to shake, the sun would rise in the west.

Therefore, for both of them, ignoring each other was the best course of action.

Qi Yuan even suspected that if he tried to talk to You Yuanxiu, the man would likely think, Having You Qinghe isn’t enough? Now he’s trying to butter me up too?

He might even add “insatiable man” to Qi Yuan’s list of faults.

Qi Yuan couldn’t be bothered to argue. After all, it was just a dreamscape.

Dwelling on it would only make him angry, and he wanted to live to a hundred.

When You Qinghe reentered the room, he was pressing a gauze pad against his forehead. The stark crimson stain startled Qi Yuan, who immediately rose to greet him, concern etched on his face.

“How did you get hurt?” he asked anxiously.

You Qinghe gritted his teeth, yet reassured Qi Yuan despite his own injury, unwilling to cause him undue worry. “It’s nothing, just a minor cut. I’m healthy, I’ll heal quickly.”

“Besides, I let that old geezer hit me willingly. Now he can’t object to us anymore. It was worth it.”

Qi Yuan shook his head in disagreement. “You Qinghe, I don’t want to gain your family’s approval at the cost of your injury. In my eyes, that’s far from worth it.”

“We could take things slow…”

Before Qi Yuan could finish, You Qinghe interrupted him earnestly. “Baby, I don’t want to take things slow.”

“To everyone else, you’re just my plaything—someone I’d discard without a second thought. But I don’t see you that way. You’re my most precious treasure, my lover, the person I want to spend my life with.”

“I can’t bear it when others roll their eyes at you, when they look down on you. To me, that’s just another sign of my own incompetence.”

Qi Yuan wanted to argue but stopped himself.

He frowned slightly and sighed softly, knowing he couldn’t change You Qinghe’s mind.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t touched, but that was all it was: mere emotion.

He knew deep down that this was just a dreamscape. Everyone but himself was an illusion.

“Does it hurt?”

Qi Yuan didn’t argue further. He gently touched the edge of You Qinghe’s wound.

“Baby, it hurts,” You Qinghe whined pitifully, seeking comfort.

Qi Yuan pressed a finger firmly between You Qinghe’s brows and said with mock ferocity, “You deserve it.”

“Ahem.”

You Yuanxiu cleared his throat, interrupting the scene.

He had no desire to be a third wheel watching their mushy display. He never expected the rebellious You Qinghe to have such a clingy side—it was quite an eyesore.

“The Family Banquet is about to start. We should head downstairs,” he reminded the young couple. Then, as an afterthought, he asked, “Has the wound been treated?”

“The butler called Doctor Xu over,” You Qinghe said. “It’s just a superficial cut, bleeding a bit. We’ve applied sterile gauze and stopped the bleeding. Nothing serious.”

You Yuanxiu nodded.

“Don’t use your body to fight them. If anything happens, come to me. They won’t dare overstep, especially You Shu. Avoid arguing with him directly—let me handle it.”

With that, he brushed past them and strode ahead, exiting the study.

“Understood, Brother,” You Qinghe said with a smile.

The two followed behind You Yuanxiu, hand in hand.

Qi Yuan watched You Yuanxiu’s retreating figure, recalling the rumors he’d heard in his previous life:

The You Family’s two main branch Young Masters were at odds with their father.

Shortly after graduating from Weilika Academy, the Eldest Young Master, You Yuanxiu, seized power, forcing his father, You Shu, to abdicate.

Seeing things now, the rumors seemed to hold water. After all, what kind of son would call his father “old geezer” or by his full name?

By now, the grand dining table in the living room was nearly full, with only the head seat and the two beside it remaining empty—clearly reserved for the final three to arrive.

As You Yuanxiu descended the stairs, he suddenly stopped mid-step, a thought striking him.

Why does the boyfriend You Qinghe brought home sound so much like Sweetheart?

Was it his imagination?

Or…

No, impossible.

From the moment the man was brought home, You Yuanxiu hadn’t paid him any attention—or rather, he hadn’t considered him worth his notice.

Moreover, after the two entered the study, they spoke only a few words, and their voices were soft.

It wasn’t until just now, when they were close enough to speak directly in front of him, that he heard every word they spoke with perfect clarity.

You Yuanxiu felt a mixture of shock and doubt. He knew his memory was exceptional—photographic, even extending to voices.

Of course, even without such a perfect memory, how could he forget the voice of his own beloved?

Though he rarely video-called Xu Yuan (Qi Yuan), and when they did, he only saw hands and arms, they had voice calls every few days since becoming official, racking up quite a number of calls by now.

Therefore, he could confidently assert that Qi Yuan’s voice was indeed identical to Sweetheart’s.

For a moment, he was stunned into disbelief, his mind a blank canvas. Thoughts swirled in confusion as he tried to convince himself it must be a mistake, repeatedly assuring himself it was merely a coincidence.

You Yuanxiu’s breathing quickened slightly, but he quickly regained control.

Descending the stairs, his pace quickened. After settling into the head seat, his gaze kept drifting to the two figures sitting not far away.

Especially when he saw Qi Yuan roll up his sleeve, revealing a conspicuous mole on his wrist.

His hand involuntarily clenched, his fingernails digging into his palm.