Noble Academy's Mob Character: Reborn as the Campus Heartthrob - Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Another Round of Dreams

Huff…

Qi Yuan stood in the forest, gazing at the bright moon through the lush canopy. He took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, his mind wandering.

Perhaps some things were truly predetermined, like Qi Yuan’s futile efforts to change his fate. Yet he felt deeply dissatisfied, unwilling to accept the destiny thrust upon him. This sense of powerlessness grated on him, leaving him restless both inside and out.

After a moment, feeling the cool night breeze prickling his skin, Qi Yuan realized he was getting cold and began walking again.

The narrow path led directly to the emergency exit at the back of the dormitory, a route Qi Yuan had stumbled upon in his previous life. Few students at Weilika Academy likely knew of its existence.

After all, such paths were typically used by impoverished students. The wealthy had cars and didn’t even live in the dorms. Based on the Academy’s proportion of underprivileged students, fewer than ten individuals—and even that was an overestimate—would likely use this shortcut.

Qi Yuan reached his dormitory without incident. As he dropped his backpack, his tension finally eased. See? The world isn’t full of constant surprises, he thought.

Muttering to himself, he tidied up, showered off the day’s fatigue, and marveled at the comforts of modern life.

Then he realized it had been a while since his last Dreamscape encounter. Could another big showdown be waiting for me?

This inevitably aroused Qi Yuan’s vigilance, a vague premonition settling over him that he might dream tonight.

He considered avoiding sleep altogether to evade the Dreamscape, but upon reflection, he knew he couldn’t stay awake indefinitely. Sooner or later, he’d be dragged into it anyway. Might as well give up now—he wasn’t going to die, after all.

But!

Qi Yuan had only one requirement for the Dreamscape: modernity. No more primitive settings!

After a brief prayer, his laundry finished washing.

He walked onto the balcony to hang his clothes, his gaze drifting inadvertently to the pitch-black room across the way.

That was Cyril’s room. The inter-academy exchange program had concluded two days earlier. Since Zhuo Ming was busy, Qi Yuan had seen Cyril off at the Academy gate.

They had talked at length, Qi Yuan sensing Cyril’s lingering fondness for Weilika in every word and gesture. Those purple eyes, so affectionate no matter whom they looked at, now held a faint melancholy, and paired with his exotic features, they made every passing student stop and stare.

If mere passersby were so affected, Qi Yuan, standing directly opposite Cyril and gazing into that breathtaking beauty, found it even harder to maintain his composure.

Afraid his carefully stabilized Dao Heart might waver before such absolute beauty, he hurried Cyril into the car and fled, not daring to glance back even once.

As a result, he didn’t see the smile vanish instantly from Cyril’s face, replaced by a palpable drop in the surrounding atmosphere.

Qi Yuan couldn’t quite define his feelings for Cyril, nor did he want to. Suppressing his thoughts, he told himself to stop dwelling on these things that disturbed his Dao Heart and mechanically hung up his clothes.

When everything was tidied up, he lay on the bed, every fiber of his being screaming with exhaustion, unwilling to move even an inch.

Yet he forced himself to pull out his phone, set the alarm, and regardless of its usefulness, he had to set it anyway.

He closed his eyes, and it wasn’t long before he drifted off to sleep.

“Today’s air pollution index is 30%, suitable for going outside.”

“Experts predict an Electromagnetic Storm in three days. Please prepare supplies and stay home; do not go out.”

“The calm before the storm is dwindling. Please mind the time…”

A persistent buzzing filled Qi Yuan’s ears.

He thought he understood, yet couldn’t quite grasp the message. By the time he fully woke, the buzzing had vanished, leaving only the memory of today’s 30% pollution level.

Puzzled, he sat up and surveyed his surroundings.

The single bed beneath him was cramped; one wrong turn and he’d tumble off. The entire room was pitifully small, barely the size of a restroom in the Weilika Academy dormitory.

Yet despite its size, the room was surprisingly functional. It had a small table, a toilet but no kitchen, and a pathetically tiny window.

Qi Yuan rose and approached the window, peering out. The world beyond was shrouded in a gray haze, dark clouds pressing down, not a single ray of sunlight piercing through.

The room was likely on the fifth or sixth floor; the view below was quite high. Strangely, there wasn’t a single patch of green to be seen.

The Dreamscape was indeed the modern world he longed for, yet it exuded an unsettling air.

Just as he was trying to make sense of it all, a knock came at the door.

“Qi Yuan, are you ready yet?” a voice called from outside. “Time for work. The Supervisor’s in a hurry—a major client’s here, and they need us to get there ASAP.”

“Just a minute, give me a few more,” Qi Yuan replied.

Having undergone the Dreamscape’s trials, his adaptability had improved considerably. At least now, unlike when he first transmigrated, he no longer wore his confusion and uncertainty on his face.

Hearing Qi Yuan’s response, the person outside stopped knocking.

“Alright, hurry up.”

Qi Yuan glanced down at his pajamas, worn and faded from countless washes.

He rummaged through the apartment and found only two sets of clothes. He quickly changed into the slightly newer-looking set.

He barely had time to lament how impoverished his Dreamscape self must be—only two sets of clothes, one of them patched—when another, more urgent knock interrupted his thoughts.

After knocking, he asked, “All done?”

Qi Yuan slipped back into his shoes and was about to open the door when his wrist was seized. Before he could react, he was being dragged into the elevator.

As the elevator descended, he finally had a chance to observe the young man who had dragged him away.

The man was strikingly handsome, with a face that exuded a bewitching allure, particularly those fox-like eyes, which possessed a unique and captivating charm.

His skin was unnaturally pale, yet this only heightened his striking appearance, imbuing him with an eerie allure that stirred the imagination.

“Why are you acting so spaced out today?” the man teased, glancing sideways at Qi Yuan. “And what made you finally part with that ragged, patched-up outfit?”

Qi Yuan, wary of saying too much, offered a perfunctory excuse. “I didn’t sleep well,” he said, punctuating his words with a yawn.

The man chuckled. “No wonder. So you only changed because you’re not fully awake.”

What a way to put it, Qi Yuan thought, opting to remain silent. The less said, the better.

Seeing Qi Yuan’s silence, the man assumed he was angry and quickly apologized: “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Don’t be mad.”

“I shouldn’t have made fun of your clothes. Everything I said earlier was just a joke, you know? I love joking around. I genuinely think your outfit is really unique… and even kind of cool.”

Qi Yuan: “………”

“You don’t have to flatter me like that, lying through your teeth.”

Qi Yuan recalled the patched-up, beggar-like clothes—his own clothes, yet he couldn’t bring himself to compliment them sincerely.

The man protested, “I’m not lying! I mean it! Look into my sincere eyes.”

He leaned in close, making direct eye contact with Qi Yuan. After only a few seconds, Qi Yuan couldn’t stand it and turned away.

Pfft.

The man chuckled, whether amused by Qi Yuan’s evasion or for some other reason.

The elevator soon reached the ground floor.

He released Qi Yuan’s hand. The urgency must have been real, because he didn’t say another word and hurried out, Qi Yuan following closely behind.

The raised collar of Qi Yuan’s coat concealed the lower half of his face, while his large eyes silently scanned their surroundings.

Dilapidated skyscrapers loomed over the desolate landscape, and the streets and alleys reeked with the stench of piled-up garbage.

They walked through a series of streets and stopped at a shop with a sign that read “Underground Bar,” then went inside.

Qi Yuan paused briefly before following.

The interior wasn’t as grim as Qi Yuan had imagined. The decor was quite distinctive, even more atmospheric than Lan Xun in the real world.

Soft, gentle music played in the nearly empty bar.

The bartender greeted them warmly, “Qianfan, Xiao Qi, you’re finally here! The boss has been waiting for you. Go see him right away.”

Tang Qianfan gave an “OK” sign, and Qi Yuan nodded to the bartender. Without lingering, they headed straight for the boss’s office.

Climbing to the third floor, they walked to the end of the corridor and pushed open the door.

They found a middle-aged man with a large head and protruding ears sitting in the office chair, his belly bulging prominently. His expression was sour.

Seeing them enter, he demanded, “Why are you so late?”

Tang Qianfan wasn’t about to coddle the boss. After all, it wasn’t them who needed him—it was the other way around.

He raised an eyebrow at the boss across the table, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

“Seriously? You called us in to work overtime during our break. You should be grateful we even showed up.”

“Stop nitpicking! Otherwise, don’t blame me if Qi Yuan and I turn around and walk out. You can go serve the clients yourself.”

This heartless boss is just asking for trouble, he thought.

For the first time, Qi Yuan witnessed a person’s face cycling through a rainbow of colors at once.

Qianfan hadn’t even been rude, just stating the facts. Yet the boss’s face flared through a full spectrum of hues, revealing his utterly peculiar nature.

The Fat Boss gritted his teeth, swallowing his anger. It took him nearly ten minutes to regain his composure.

Despite his fury, he remembered the matter at hand. Suppressing his temper, he relayed the news he’d received that day.

“Some big shots are coming to Garbage Star soon. Boss Zhao ordered us to report all our subordinates with decent looks. We’ll take you all to the White Tower to serve these VIPs for a few days—a thousand Star Coins per day.”

Tang Qianfan exclaimed in shock, “What? A thousand Star Coins a day?”

His face didn’t light up with joy at the prospect of such wealth; instead, worry clouded his features.

“I’m not going…”

“Qi Yuan isn’t going either.”

He refused, glancing at Qi Yuan before rejecting the offer on his behalf as well.

The Fat Boss understood Tang Qianfan’s concerns perfectly. How could he not? After all, the last time they served such dignitaries, many had lost their lives.

But this time was different. These High-Tier Zerg weren’t as savage as the previous group, and they were only stopping by briefly before moving on. As long as they didn’t cross any lines and behaved themselves, they could safely earn the Star Coins.

The Fat Boss argued tirelessly, finally securing Tang Qianfan’s grudging consent.

“If these dignitaries are High-Tier Zerg, then I’ll go.”

Since Tang Qianfan was going, Qi Yuan naturally had to go too. He believed that only by sticking close to Tang Qianfan could he find the key to escaping the Dreamscape.

After leaving the Fat Boss’s office, they entered the lounge. Since their pickup was imminent, the Fat Boss had instructed them not to return to their quarters. The White Tower had everything they needed; they just needed to bring the people.

Qi Yuan sat on the rather stiff sofa, observing Tang Qianfan across from him, who seemed to have sunk completely into the cushions.

Tang Qianfan had reverted to his usual languid demeanor, muttering, “High-Tier Zerg, of all things.”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about,” Qi Yuan replied. “Those bugs only care about their Insect Mother. They wouldn’t give us humans a second glance.”

Curiosity piqued, Qi Yuan asked, “If the Zerg look down on humans, why send servants to attend to them?”

Tang Qianfan explained, “Ever since their previous Insect Mother died, a new one hasn’t appeared. This has driven them to scour the entire universe for a replacement.”

“To find their Insect Mother, the High-Tier Zerg even signed a Peace Treaty with us humans, just so they could search our territories.”

“And to further cooperation, the Main Planet issued an order: ‘Friendly Races visiting human worlds must be treated with utmost hospitality.'”

“That’s why whenever dignitaries from Friendly Races visit Garbage Star, Boss Zhao sends his most attractive people to serve them, ensuring no mistakes are made and no fault is found.”