Noble Academy's Mob Character: Reborn as the Campus Heartthrob - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Second Dream

Qi Yuan blinked, tilting his head innocently as he gazed up at You Qinghe, who was blocking his path.

He couldn’t understand why You Qinghe was reacting so strongly.

It’s almost as if He Zhou is his love rival…

No, that’s impossible! The little man in Qi Yuan’s mind shook his head violently. I must be mistaken!

Seeing his prolonged silence, You Qinghe couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment.

Yet Baby’s bewildered expression seemed to plead, I don’t understand why you’re suddenly acting so strange—even jealous!

Yes, You Qinghe was jealous. He couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else entering Baby’s gaze, especially his rival.

He Zhou might be playing his part perfectly, but one should never underestimate a man’s intuition. The damned dog might look respectable, but his actions were utterly depraved.

On the day You Qinghe confronted He Zhou, he nearly exploded with rage.

“You’re not even married,” He Zhou had said, seated in the Student Council President’s private office, his usual faint smile unwavering. “And even marriage can end in divorce.”

“So why shouldn’t I have a chance to win him over?”

Hidden behind his glasses, his eyes glinted like those of a greedy viper, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, to seize the treasure he had coveted for so long and pull it into his embrace.

“He Zhou!”

“Damn it!”

You Qinghe’s eyes were bloodshot with fury. Seriously, is this even human talk?

The sheer audacity!

The Young Master hadn’t been exposed to much vulgar language. Though quick-tempered, he wasn’t an uncouth person.

You Qinghe grabbed He Zhou by the collar, wanting to punch him, but he restrained himself. He knew that if he threw a punch, He Zhou would immediately run to Baby and whine about it, acting all innocent and fragile.

He’d promised Baby not to randomly hit people.

Not that this would be random! He Zhou was deliberately provoking him, practically begging for a beating. But others wouldn’t see it that way. No matter what, he didn’t want Baby to misunderstand.

“He Zhou, your whole family is insane! Do you really think you can keep up this act forever?”

“Remember this: as long as you’re a madman, no one will ever truly love you.”

“If you had even a shred of conscience and genuinely cared for Qi Yuan, you’d stop corrupting him!”

You Qinghe released He Zhou’s collar, spitting out the words with disgust.

He didn’t even want to mention the He Family’s sordid history. No wonder they’re all crazy—twisted morals are practically their family tradition! Calming down, he couldn’t be bothered to argue with He Zhou any longer. Baby would be out of class soon, and he needed to pick him up for lunch.

He turned to leave, and the office quickly fell silent.

The smile vanished from He Zhou’s face. He tugged at his loosened tie.

He’s actually getting smarter.

Conscience? That’s a word that’s never been relevant to me. And how can love be considered corruption?

You Qinghe still vividly remembered He Zhou’s repulsive expression.

“He Zhou isn’t a good person.”

He crouched down, meeting Qi Yuan’s gaze at eye level, and sighed before explaining.

“Baby, you know I don’t like badmouthing people, but he’s genuinely insane.”

Qi Yuan nodded vigorously this time.

He already knew He Zhou was a madman. In his previous life, he’d heard about He Zhou setting his ancestral home on fire, nearly burning himself alive.

Only a madman would pull off something like that.

What surprised Qi Yuan was You Qinghe’s intense hostility toward He Zhou. In their previous life, their relationship had never been this irreconcilably strained.

Qi Yuan sighed inwardly. This is a dream after all; anything can happen.

He felt like he’d been stuck in this dream for far too long, his patience wearing thin. Eager to escape, he decided to humor You Qinghe a little, testing whether the target’s emotional state might determine whether he left the dream or remained trapped in a loop.

“Is You Qinghe jealous?” Qi Yuan feigned sudden realization, reaching out with a smile to twirl a strand of his hair. “Of course I’ll always be watching you. I was just wondering why He Zhou wasn’t on your team—after all, aren’t you two friends?”

His tone softened, losing its initial coldness.

Qi Yuan could only probe cautiously. He didn’t have much he could say to You Qinghe’s face right now; his immediate priority was to carefully frame the questions he needed to ask.

He was truly backed into a corner. Running away would just lead to an endless loop, while fighting You Qinghe was pointless—he stood no chance. Moreover, You Qinghe had a gang of followers, and those guys weren’t pushovers.

Thinking back to the soothing words he’d just used, Qi Yuan realized he’d never even spoken to Qi Meng that way.

Neither of them were particularly outgoing; their shared passion was reading and studying. That’s what people with clear goals are like.

When their family shattered in an instant, Qi Yuan and Qi Meng resolved to rise above their circumstances, studying relentlessly as their only path to change their fate.

They were on the verge of success when tragedy struck. After finally graduating, Qi Yuan died in a car accident, only to be reborn into a dream where he transformed from a straight man into a gay man. It was only Qi Yuan’s resilient mindset that kept him from completely losing it. Otherwise, instead of trying to pacify You Qinghe, he might have dragged them both to their doom.

You Qinghe’s eyes lit up, his expression radiating joy, but he still whined in a hurt voice, “Baby, I’m jealous~”

“I hate He Zhou, I hate him so much…”

“He’s no friend of mine anymore, so if he tries to talk to you when I’m not around, Baby, just ignore him, okay~?”

He took Qi Yuan’s hand again.

Though he’d been coaxed into a better mood, he was still a little annoyed. He gently nipped Qi Yuan’s hand, leaving a faint tooth mark that would vanish within minutes.

Hmm…

Qi Yuan stared at the saliva glistening on his hand. ………

When You Qinghe had moved to bite him, Qi Yuan had nearly slapped him. Now, seeing the saliva on his hand, he wiped it off on You Qinghe’s clothes with a deadpan expression.

I just want to die…

But he held on.

“Hurry up,” Qi Yuan urged, forcing a smile and nudging him. “The match is about to start.”

“Don’t rush me, Baby~” You Qinghe whined, gazing at him with expectant eyes that held a mysterious meaning. Qi Yuan felt a sudden premonition.

Sure enough.

You Qinghe tapped his cheek, the implication clear.

Qi Yuan: ………

Help! I can’t bring myself to do it!

His brain raced, working faster than it ever had during the college entrance exams. Then, in a flash of inspiration, he had an idea.

“Only the winners get rewards, you know.”

Qi Yuan gave You Qinghe another nudge on the shoulder.

“Really?” You Qinghe asked, his gaze now even more intense, lingering on Qi Yuan’s lips as it swept across his face.

“Of course,” Qi Yuan nodded, conjuring a lie with practiced ease.

“Alright then, I can’t wait for Baby’s reward!”

With that, You Qinghe bounded back to his team, as cheerful as a golden retriever puppy.

Qi Yuan immediately sensed something was off. Why does it feel like the reward I promised isn’t the reward You Qinghe’s imagining?

Just as panic began to set in, the referee blew the whistle, and the game officially began.

You Qinghe lived up to his physique, effortlessly sinking basket after basket with the help of his teammates.

Even between shots, he found time to show off, slicking his sweat-dampened hair back to reveal his full forehead. His sparkling eyes curved into crescents as he flashed Qi Yuan a goofy smile.

On the other side, He Zhou looked almost pitiful. His team lacked talent, several players dragging them down with their reckless mistakes. Yet He Zhou seemed unfazed, wiping his sweat while calmly reassuring his teammates.

“Losing doesn’t matter; it’s the participation that counts…”

You Qinghe overheard this as he passed by, rolled his eyes, and couldn’t resist adding, “Hypocrite.”

He Zhou smiled indulgently, maintaining his tolerant demeanor.

But when he turned to face Qi Yuan, his gaze lowered, tinged with melancholy, like a bullied little lamb.

Qi Yuan’s eyes darted to You Qinghe as he walked away, feigning obliviousness.

He had no intention of coaxing the petty-minded You Qinghe again.