Noble Academy's Mob Character: Reborn as the Campus Heartthrob - Chapter 75

Chapter 75: The Insect Mother 3

Qi Yuan paused halfway through his meal, his expression hopeful as he mumbled, “Really?”

He didn’t doubt You Qinghe would lie, but he wanted to confirm it again.

“Mm-hmm, really. Finish eating first.” You Qinghe pulled out a tissue to wipe the grease from the corner of Qi Yuan’s mouth.

“Okay,” Qi Yuan nodded.

After having his mouth wiped, he looked at You Qinghe and said, “Thank you.” Then he added, “But I can do it myself later. No need to trouble you.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” You Qinghe replied. “It makes me happy to be needed by you.”

This comment made Qi Yuan glance at him through colored lenses. This personality seemed less like You Qinghe and more like You Yuanxiu’s—in his speech patterns and mannerisms. Even his behavior lacked the reckless impulsiveness Qi Yuan had witnessed in the Dreamscape and reality.

Qi Yuan nearly asked, “Are you really You Qinghe?” but he held back. After all, they had only known each other for less than half a month in this Dreamscape.

He glanced again at You Qinghe’s flamboyant red hair and dazzling face, finding it somewhat jarring.

Yet, no matter how jarring it felt, he had no intention of uncovering the truth.

Qi Yuan figured that if there were any secrets, they couldn’t remain hidden for long. Sooner or later, the truth would surface anyway, so he saw no need to rush.

As a top-tier race in the universe, the Zerg possessed starships with exceptional performance, reaching the outskirts of the Main Planet in a matter of days.

Qi Yuan, unable to disembark, could only watch forlornly as You Qinghe left.

You Qinghe’s dark eyes, fixed on Qi Yuan, radiated tenderness as he gently pressed his forehead against Qi Yuan’s.

“Wait for me to return,” he whispered.

“Mm,” Qi Yuan murmured in response.

The cabin door slid shut.

He gazed out the narrow porthole at the bustling cityscape beyond.

You Qinghe had left him an Optical Computer to pass the time, its functions mirroring those of a smartphone.

Once Qi Yuan had mastered the Optical Computer, he recalled his role in the Dreamscape: the False Young Master in a tale of True and False Young Masters, banished from the Main Planet to the Garbage Star.

He wondered if the Main Planet’s elite families had indeed experienced such a True and False Young Masters incident. Would there be news coverage on the Starnet? Or perhaps discussion forums dedicated to the matter?

Driven by curiosity, Qi Yuan resolved to uncover the truth behind his past.

As expected, a Starnet search revealed numerous articles about the True and False Young Masters, even including blurry photographs of himself.

Shocking! Qi Yuan, the Young Master raised by the Qi Family—one of the Main Planet’s Four Great Families—until adulthood, is not of their bloodline!

The Qi Family’s True and False Young Masters!

Why did the Qi Family suddenly send their beloved Young Master away from the Main Planet? What could be the reason?

Rumor has it the False Young Master, unwilling to cede his position to the True Young Master, hired assassins to eliminate him, only to be caught red-handed?!

Qi Yuan had already gleaned the gist from the news headlines, but he couldn’t tell if it was true or not. He needed more information.

He turned to the Starnet Forums and searched for “Qi Yuan,” “Qi Family,” and “True and False Young Masters.”

Clicking search, he was taken to a page full of discussions from a month ago. The threads seemed to have lost their heat, with remarkably low engagement.

Perhaps there was another reason. The most heated debates might have been censored, leaving only these lukewarm threads visible.

After all, this was gossip involving one of the Main Planet’s Four Great Families. How could there be so little discussion? Qi Yuan refused to believe it.

He clicked on the thread that caught his eye the most:

#Seriously! I can’t believe Qi Yuan would do something like this.#

1st Floor (Original Poster): We were classmates, and he was a really good guy. In my opinion, he’d never commit an assassination!

2nd Floor: I was also Qi Yuan’s classmate! I can vouch for that!

3rd Floor: This case was closed way too quickly! It hasn’t even been two hours since the incident. They probably didn’t even gather all the evidence before convicting him and rushing him off the Main Planet. They must think we’re fools if they think we won’t notice something’s fishy.

4th Floor: Is the Qi Family planning to discard him like a worn-out millstone? I remember when they almost got kicked out of the Four Great Families by the other three. They only managed to stay in by sending their Young Master to the Imperial Palace as the Prince’s playmate.

5th Floor (Original Poster): How outrageous! How can a family like this still be one of the Four Great Families? They should be kicked out immediately—they’re nothing but bad luck!

6th Floor: Agreed.

+1

After scrolling through a few posts, Qi Yuan had a rough understanding of the situation.

The Qi Family truly had no redeeming qualities, embodying the classic “use and discard” mentality. It seemed they had known from the start that Qi Yuan wasn’t a true member of the family, explaining their exploitative and oppressive treatment. How else could such a coincidence have occurred?

Once their family’s position was secure, they casually tossed their non-blood-related meritorious subjects onto the deadly Garbage Star, all to ensure these heroes didn’t die by their own hands, but through “accidents.”

It seemed that, in their twisted logic, even facing public outrage and boycotts was a price worth paying to ensure Qi Yuan’s death. There was no escape for him.

This was the most perplexing part. Why?

Could his Dreamscape self have stumbled upon some secret he shouldn’t have known?

Qi Yuan couldn’t make sense of it, nor could he deduce the answer from the limited information available.

He bit his lip, feeling a pang of sympathy for his Dreamscape counterpart. This fate seemed even more tragic than the one in his previous Dreamscape.

Just as he was feeling utterly trapped and struggling with whether to tell You Qinghe he didn’t want to go out anymore, the door swung open.

You Qinghe strode in.

But this You Qinghe felt entirely different to Qi Yuan.

With his fiery red hair and flamboyant features, You Qinghe grinned as if he’d stumbled upon something amusing.

A crimson ring encircled the outer edge of his pupils, unlike the pure black irises Qi Yuan had seen before.

“Who are you?” Qi Yuan asked, feigning confusion despite already knowing the answer.

This You Qinghe strode in and closed the door behind him.

Instead of answering, he dragged a chair over and sat down opposite Qi Yuan.

High-Tier Zerg wore specially tailored uniforms, all black but each distinguished by unique patterns.

The custom-fitted uniforms accentuated their figures perfectly; You Qinghe, already built like a mannequin, looked even more striking in his uniform, with its broad shoulders and narrow waist.

“So, my Big Brother is keeping a human as a pet,” he mused, his smile widening. “How… interesting.”

“I’m quite curious,” he continued. “How did a mere human like you manage to capture my Big Brother’s attention?”

Qi Yuan: “………”

Heh, as if I wanted this!

His instincts had been right all along. He knew You Qinghe’s true nature couldn’t be so docile—and sure enough, it was You Yuanxiu.

“What do you mean by that?” Qi Yuan demanded.

Qi Yuan’s expression turned wary as he leaned back, his body quickly pressing against the wall.

You Qinghe rested his elbow on the armrest, propping his head in his hand.

“Just curious,” he said.

“Don’t be scared.”

“Sit down for a bit. My big brother will be back soon. If you have to stand for too long because of me, he’ll blame me.”

“You wouldn’t want to see me argue with my big brother, would you?”

His voice carried a smile, but his words sounded more like a warning than genuine concern.

There was a chair next to Qi Yuan. Hearing You Qinghe’s words, he silently sat down.

This was the first time he had seen You Qinghe treat him with such an arrogant attitude.

Deep down, he knew You Qinghe was still holding back, but the discomfort lingered in his heart.

He mentally cursed himself: When he treated me like a baby, I didn’t appreciate it. Now that he’s acting normal, I miss the way he used to be.

What a masochist.

Qi Yuan’s self-reproach was merciless. After berating himself, he felt considerably better, his gaze toward You Qinghe softening.

You Qinghe had an inherently twisted personality. He had been drawn to Qi Yuan from their first encounter, and his curiosity about the younger man wasn’t solely due to his big brother’s influence.

He wasn’t sure what his feelings toward Qi Yuan truly were. Unable to discern them clearly, he simply categorized them all as mere curiosity.

Seeing the change in Qi Yuan’s attitude toward him, his heart stirred.

Although You Qinghe and You Yuanxiu were brothers, their personalities were polar opposites. You Yuanxiu rarely let his emotions show, while You Qinghe was impulsive and explosive. This often meant You Yuanxiu had to clean up You Qinghe’s messes.

For instance, when You Qinghe, the Zerg representative, recklessly abandoned his duties, claiming he had found an Eternal Flower to symbolize his devotion to the Insect Mother.

With no other choice, You Yuanxiu had to impersonate You Qinghe and attend the birthday banquet.

Ordinarily, You Yuanxiu, disguised as You Qinghe, would have been solely responsible for the entire birthday banquet. You Qinghe himself would have remained lost in space, likely never returning before its conclusion.

Unexpectedly, however, You Qinghe had resolved his quest ahead of schedule. The Eternal Flower he sought now rested safely within his Spatial Button.

Remembering how many novelties and curiosities the Human Main Planet was said to possess, You Qinghe decided to visit. He planned to gather a collection of these novelties to present to the Insect Mother as soon as she returned.

You Qinghe slowly rose, his concern for Qi Yuan growing with each passing moment.

He couldn’t understand why he craved the attention of his Big Brother’s human, why he yearned for the human’s gaze to fall upon him.

This was strange, yet it made his heart itch with longing.

He had always acted on impulse, and this time was no exception.

As he drew closer to Qi Yuan, his heart raced faster and faster.

Having read few books, he was unaware that Zerg texts about the Insect Mother began with the declaration: “A Zerg’s heart beats only for the Insect Mother.”

The faint infusion of pheromones intensified You Qinghe’s physical cravings.

But what exactly did he crave?

You Qinghe’s gaze locked onto Qi Yuan.

The corners of his eyes flushed crimson.

An unbearable heat surged through his body.