Noble Academy's Mob Character: Reborn as the Campus Heartthrob - Chapter 60

Chapter 60: Beast World 5

The sudden return of the Chieftain’s hunting party meant there was no need to venture out today. Unlike yesterday, He Zhou didn’t wake up early; he slept in until he naturally roused.

Qi Yuan lifted his head slightly, gazing at He Zhou. He was struck by the man’s flawless skin—smooth, poreless, and almost velvety. He reached out a finger to gently touch it, but before he could retract his hand, He Zhou caught him red-handed.

Their hands clasped tightly together. Qi Yuan startled and tried to pull away, but his hand remained firmly held. His eyes widened slightly as he met He Zhou’s already-open gaze.

Those eyes shone with blatant amusement, making it clear He Zhou had been awake all along, merely feigning sleep to watch Qi Yuan’s little performance.

“He Zhou, you’re such a tease,” Qi Yuan muttered, exasperated by He Zhou’s twisted sense of humor.

He yanked his hand free and placed it on He Zhou’s chest. He didn’t use much force, but this time He Zhou, who had been holding him tightly, easily let go.

Released, He Zhou lay on his side, propped up on one arm, watching Qi Yuan with a playful smirk.

“Are you angry?”

“No!” Qi Yuan snapped.

I’m not being stubborn!

How could I possibly be angry over something so trivial?!

He Zhou, adopting a tolerant tone, said, “Alright, Qi Yuan isn’t angry.”

Too lazy to argue further, Qi Yuan got up to boil water for washing up.

He Zhou had left embers burning overnight, so Qi Yuan simply added some kindling to the pile. Once the fire flared, he could add firewood.

Squatting by the flames, Qi Yuan didn’t notice He Zhou watching his back, utterly charmed by the sight.

How could I just watch Qi Yuan busy himself? He Zhou thought, and without hesitation, he scooped Qi Yuan up and gently placed him on the bed.

Startled by the sudden lift, Qi Yuan instinctively wrapped his arms around He Zhou’s neck.

As soon as he sat back on the bed and lowered his hands, He Zhou cupped his face.

Smack!

Qi Yuan froze, utterly stunned.

He could clearly feel the force of He Zhou’s kiss on his cheek.

Too sudden! I wasn’t ready!

Damn him!

Qi Yuan grabbed He Zhou’s long hair, yanking him back just as he was about to pull away.

“He Zhou!”

“How could you… how could you just kiss me without even a warning?!”

He Zhou tilted his head, a dazzlingly smug expression on his face.

“So next time, if I warn you beforehand, it’ll be okay to kiss you?”

Qi Yuan instantly realized his mistake, but pride kept him from retracting his words. His face flushed crimson with anger as he shouted, “No! Absolutely not!”

As the sun rose, the Tribe buzzed with activity.

After washing up and eating breakfast, He Zhou led Qi Yuan to the Chieftain’s residence.

Whenever the Chieftain returned from his travels, the bartering and trading always took place in front of his dwelling.

Walking along the path, Qi Yuan had regained his composure and reverted to his initial attitude toward He Zhou. His moods flared quickly but faded just as fast. At heart, he refused to dwell on things. If Qi Yuan didn’t have such a resilient spirit, enduring such nightmarish dreamscapes would have tormented him endlessly.

He Zhou, one of the Tribe’s most formidable Beastmen warriors, was stopped at the Chieftain’s residence. He was informed that the Chieftain had summoned him for urgent discussions.

Hearing this, He Zhou turned to look at Qi Yuan.

Urgent discussions? How could Qi Yuan possibly object?

Just then, he spotted Xu Fu waving from a distance. Pointing toward Xu Fu, Qi Yuan said to He Zhou, “Go ahead. My friend is over there. I’ll just stay with him.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t wander off.”

Qi Yuan understood He Zhou’s concerns, and his final words struck right at He Zhou’s heart.

He Zhou nodded. “Alright.”

“Take whatever you want. Tell You Qinghe to put it on He Zhou’s tab, and I’ll settle everything when I’m done here.”

“You Qinghe’s over there.”

He pointed to the muscular young man clearing away the supplies they had brought back.

Over the past few days, He Zhou had noticed that the Female seemed remarkably unaware of some basic common knowledge.

Though curious, he decided not to press the matter for now. He figured he could wait until Qi Yuan felt ready to reveal the truth himself.

Leaning close to Qi Yuan’s ear, He Zhou whispered, “You carry my scent, so don’t worry about them denying you anything you want. Just take it.”

He desperately wanted to add, “You’re my Female,” but he restrained himself. Such words would be inappropriate before they had formally bonded.

Even though Qi Yuan had been brought back to the tribe and everyone already considered him He Zhou’s Female, he still wanted to wait until after the bonding ceremony to officially announce their relationship to the tribe.

Qi Yuan nodded. “Alright.”

He watched He Zhou’s figure disappear into the crowd. Nearby, Xu Fu, who had been cowering nervously, finally dared to approach once the Giant Python in human form had left.

Xu Fu pulled Qi Yuan into a deserted corner, whispering conspiratorially, “Something big must have happened in this tribe!”

“I noticed,” Qi Yuan replied.

Xu Fu stared in disbelief. “You noticed? How did you figure that out?”

“Last night, when I went to pick out prey from the hunting party, I happened to see the tribal chieftain returning with a group of people. The chieftain’s expression was grim, and the people behind him looked like they had rushed back in a hurry.”

Xu Fu understood now. Qi Yuan had been there all along, and to his surprise, he was the one lagging behind on information.

He grew worried. “This won’t affect us, will it?”

Qi Yuan looked at him like he was an idiot. “How could it not affect us? We’re practically members of this tribe now. If something really happens, do you think our weak chicken bodies could escape? We’d probably be the first ones to die.”

Xu Fu: “………”

That made perfect sense.

He had definitely been oversimplifying things.

“Then what should we do?”

As he pondered, his eyes suddenly lit up.

“Say, should I find someone… um… to partner up with for now?”

Qi Yuan thought Xu Fu’s plan was a bit unethical, but after a moment’s reflection, he realized he had no right to judge. He himself was far more unscrupulous. Across countless Dreamscapes, he had repeatedly exploited far more than just one person.

“It’s worth a try.”

“Better than being completely helpless if something really goes wrong.”

Xu Fu began to waver again, his conscience stirring.

“Wouldn’t doing this be wrong? I’d feel like a real scumbag.”

Qi Yuan patted him on the shoulder.

“You need to focus on surviving first. Survive. Then worry about whether your actions are moral.”

Xu Fu nodded, convinced. “You’re right.”

He had come here purely out of curiosity, contributing nothing and lacking the funds to trade or purchase anything.

Qi Yuan scanned the row of items. The only thing he recognized was Sweet Fruit. He decided to grab some to snack on with Xu Fu.

There were plenty of Sweet Fruit available, with small bamboo baskets nearby. He Zhou had used the same kind of basket last night, seemingly provided specifically for collecting Sweet Fruit.

He picked up a basket and, considering it was for two people, filled it generously.

Once the basket was full, he headed over to You Qinghe with the Sweet Fruit.

You Qinghe, his back to Qi Yuan, paused. A sweet, fragrant aroma filled his nostrils, and he inhaled deeply.

He couldn’t place the scent. It was familiar, though—after a moment’s thought, he recalled smelling it last night after returning to the Tribe. He’d been curious then but couldn’t identify its source.

You Qinghe turned around and met the gaze of a female with a crisp, short haircut and a radiant smile. Her face was unfamiliar; he was certain he’d never seen her in the Tribe before.

He quickly confirmed that the sweet fragrance emanated from the female before him, but then his brow furrowed. He detected a strong masculine scent clinging to her—a scent that reminded him of He Zhou’s.

When did He Zhou get a female? You Qinghe wondered. Could it have happened in just the few days we were away?

His gaze darkened as he looked at Qi Yuan, a flicker of jealousy toward He Zhou stirring in his heart. He didn’t let it show, though, focusing instead on Qi Yuan’s reddening ears.

Qi Yuan pretended not to recognize You Qinghe.

“You must be You Qinghe, right?” he asked.

You Qinghe nodded with restrained dignity, though his eyes were practically glued to Qi Yuan.

“That’s me.”

Qi Yuan’s smile widened.

“I’m Qi Yuan. He Zhou said I should come to you if I needed anything recorded.”

“I picked up some Sweet Fruit. Would you mind noting it down?”

He held up the basket.

“Just a little Sweet Fruit. Consider it a gift for you.”

You Qinghe generously offered his goodwill.

But Qi Yuan, misunderstanding, refused outright, “No need.”

The Female’s curt rejection stung You Qinghe. It was his first attempt to ingratiate himself with a Female, and it had ended in failure.

Driven by anxiety, he blurted out an impolite question: “Is He Zhou your male?”

Qi Yuan hesitated for a moment, pondering the question’s implications.

Is this like asking if He Zhou is your boyfriend in the real world? Something like that.

After grasping the meaning, Qi Yuan shook his head. In this Dreamscape, they hadn’t yet confirmed their relationship, so he could truthfully deny it.

Hearing the denial, You Qinghe turned away, his face breaking into a wide grin that revealed his white teeth. When he faced Qi Yuan again, only a faint smile remained.

In this world, Females could have one or several males.

So, even if He Zhou had already become the Female’s male, You Qinghe hadn’t felt his own chances were completely lost.

He was merely jealous that He Zhou could be with the Female and leave his scent on her.

But now, with the Female’s denial, You Qinghe immediately understood: He Zhou and the Female hadn’t yet bonded. This meant he still had a chance to become the first to bond with her.

Using schemes to win over a beloved Female was perfectly natural.

He saw nothing wrong with his plans, since everyone around him acted the same way. Let no one cast the first stone.