Noble Academy's Mob Character: Reborn as the Campus Heartthrob - Chapter 79

Chapter 79: The Insect Mother (End)

Qi Yuan felt wronged and protested, “Big Brother, I’d never act impulsively. I may be a bit impulsive, but I’m not brainless.”

You Yuanxiu didn’t want to argue. “It’s good you understand that.”

He Zhou, however, was focused solely on eliminating the Qi Family and bringing the Insect Mother to the Zerg’s Strategic Board.

“What’s your plan for dealing with the Qi Family?”

You Yuanxiu replied, “We have a plan, but its execution will require your assistance.”

Cyril declared, “I’ll follow your orders without question. For the Insect Mother, I’m willing to sacrifice everything.”

His sincerity was palpable, his gaze lingering on Qi Yuan, who was eating his meal, seemingly oblivious to the conversation.

Sensing someone watching him, Qi Yuan looked up and met Cyril’s gaze, smiling faintly.

Though he’d overheard Cyril’s heartfelt words, Qi Yuan had no intention of giving him false hope. Call me a bastard if you want, he thought. This is just a Dreamscape, after all. I’m only here to reap the benefits without distractions.

You Qinghe’s expression was indescribable. “Look at you showing off,” she grumbled.

Her voice wasn’t loud, yet every word carried clearly across the room.

Beside her, You Yuanxiu silently rose, a sheepish smile on his face. He walked behind You Qinghe and delivered a sharp punch to her head.

“You’re the one showing off the most.”

You Qinghe clutched her head, instantly subdued. She dared not make another peep.

Big Brother really went all out this time, she thought. Damn, that hurts! Doesn’t he worry about smashing my brains out?

Qi Yuan, meanwhile, watched the spectacle with amusement. As long as it didn’t involve him, he thoroughly enjoyed the drama.

Time flowed, and before they knew it, the sun had already set.

Everyone else was busy with their tasks, making Qi Yuan seem particularly idle.

Standing on the flying ship’s platform, Qi Yuan could gaze at the sky and breathe in the fresh air.

The night view of the Main Planet was quite beautiful.

Stars twinkled across the dark expanse, like scattered diamonds on velvet.

You Yuanxiu had discussed the plan with Qi Yuan, or rather, debated its feasibility.

Qi Yuan didn’t approve of the first version.

He refused to expose the Qi Family’s schemes during the Emperor’s birthday banquet. He didn’t want to ruin someone’s birthday, regardless of their status.

Birthdays should be joyous occasions.

Thus, Plan Two was devised.

Of course, everything hinged on whether the Emperor was involved in the Zerg-Qi Family affair.

Therefore, You Yuanxiu decided to scout ahead first. Until they confirmed the Emperor’s involvement, they would temporarily hold off on choosing between Plan One and Plan Two.

The night wind was gentle, barely stirring his hair.

Qi Yuan had intended to stand there for a while before returning to his room to sleep, but unexpectedly, You Qinghe returned at that moment.

He was injured, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, as if he’d been punched.

“Qi Yuan!”

“It hurts so much.”

You Qinghe wore a deeply wronged expression.

His brow furrowed as he strode swiftly toward Qi Yuan.

“Jiang Wang is such a jerk! Big Brother told me to find him and tell him we’d found the Insect Mother. He didn’t believe me, which is already bad enough, but hitting me? That’s just absurd!”

Qi Yuan reached out to touch the corner of You Qinghe’s injured lip, wanting to confirm it was real.

When You Qinghe winced in pain, Qi Yuan was convinced: the injury was indeed genuine.

“What exactly did you say to Jiang Wang?” he asked curiously.

He was quite intrigued by what You Qinghe could have said to provoke Jiang Wang into resorting to violence.

Upon hearing this question, You Qinghe visibly paused, then began to mumble incoherently, clearly trying to evade the topic.

But Qi Yuan wasn’t about to let him off the hook.

He pinched You Qinghe’s cheek firmly and threatened, “If you don’t tell me everything, I’ll tell Big Brother when he gets back.”

You Qinghe raised his hands in surrender.

“Don’t! I’ll tell you, okay…?”

His ears flushed crimson, and his eyes darted away, adopting a shy, almost embarrassed demeanor. This made Qi Yuan feel like some kind of coercive bully.

Realizing this, Qi Yuan released You Qinghe’s cheek and took a step back to create some distance. Unexpectedly, You Qinghe grabbed his hand.

“Why aren’t you pinching my cheek anymore?”

He pressed his face into Qi Yuan’s hand, reveling in their intimacy—whether it was holding hands, cheek-pinching, or even playful slaps, he cherished it all.

When he sensed Qi Yuan loosening his grip and even considering withdrawing, You Qinghe panicked momentarily but quickly recovered, devising a countermove.

“Let go,” Qi Yuan glared at him.

“Can’t I just… not?” You Qinghe countered.

“No whining!” Qi Yuan snapped.

“I’m speaking perfectly normally,” You Qinghe protested. “No whining here.”

“Oh, really?” Qi Yuan mocked, mimicking his tone. “Can’t I just… not?”

You Qinghe’s eyes curved into crescent moons with laughter. “So that’s whining! It sounds so nice.”

Qi Yuan stared in speechless frustration.

Who said You Qinghe was stupid? He’s actually quite clever.

Enough! I almost let him distract me. I still remember what we were talking about.

Qi Yuan jerked his hand away. “Stop fooling around. Tell me exactly what you said to Jiang Wang.”

“You almost got me there,” Qi Yuan accused. “You’re really devious.”

This time, instead of pinching his cheek, You Qinghe cupped Qi Yuan’s face in both hands, their eyes locking.

You Qinghe wore a helpless expression. To prove he wasn’t bad at all, he decided to come clean.

“Actually, I never even met Jiang Wang.”

“I’d offended him before. The moment I got close to his ship, he ordered his subordinates to fire on me with a cannon.”

At this point, You Qinghe began gritting his teeth.

“That cannon was so expensive, and he just gave it all to me like that! I don’t know whether to praise his generosity or say he really values me.”

Qi Yuan chuckled. “You’re pretty tough, then. Getting hit by a cannon and only suffering superficial injuries.”

“Actually, I have internal injuries too,” You Qinghe countered.

Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow. “Really? I can’t see any signs of that.”

You Qinghe leaned his head against Qi Yuan’s shoulder.

“How could you see internal injuries? You have to feel them.”

He lifted his shirt, tensing his lower abdomen, and placed Qi Yuan’s hand there.

“Feel around. It really hurts inside.”

Qi Yuan: “………”

So shameless.

But he still instinctively gave it a couple of squeezes. The sensation was indeed quite pleasant.

Even in this moment, he couldn’t resist asking, “Does your Big Brother know you offended Jiang Wang?”

“No way,” You Qinghe replied.

“I wouldn’t dare tell him. If he found out, he’d never let me go near Jiang Wang again.”

“Baby, keep it a secret for me, okay~?”

“You wouldn’t want to see me get beaten up by You Yuanxiu, would you?”

“He’s so strong! His punches really hurt!”

Qi Yuan froze slightly, the familiar endearment vaguely reminding him of You Qinghe from his first Dreamscape. His vision flickered momentarily before returning to normal.

“Alright, I’ll keep your secret,” Qi Yuan agreed readily. “But only because you’re injured.”

“Next time, don’t go around provoking people.”

“Even with your strength, you can still get hurt, and it still hurts.”

Qi Yuan hadn’t actually intended to say any of that. But You Qinghe had been genuinely kind to him, and it was only within the Dreamscape. In reality, he wouldn’t meddle in such affairs.

“Is Baby worried about me?” You Qinghe cooed.

“Then I’ll listen to you. I won’t go around provoking people anymore. I’ll stay obediently by your side.”

“Baby can supervise me from now on. If I mess up again, you can punish me however you like. How does that sound?”

Qi Yuan desperately wanted to tell him the truth, but reason told him it was absolutely forbidden.

The smile on his face faded slightly, unnoticed by the man pressed against his shoulder.

“Alright.”

“I’ll supervise you.”

Qi Yuan chose to deceive him after all.

His choice was the right one. The moment he spoke, the Dreamscape began to shatter.

So You Qinghe was the key.

In the next instant, darkness descended.

Qi Yuan was back in his dormitory.

He sat up on the edge of his bed, the echo of You Qinghe’s voice still ringing in his ears.

As winter break approached, it was exam time.

Qi Yuan’s solid foundation meant no last-minute cramming was needed. He breezed through the exams, and the holidays began.

Snow began to fall heavily, blanketing the ground in a silvery-white layer.

Dragging his suitcase, he was bundled in a thick padded coat and scarf, his breath misting in the frigid air as he spoke.

The exam results wouldn’t be released for a few more days.

Qi Yuan was confident he’d secure first place in his major; barring any unforeseen mishaps.

His break started earlier than Qi Meng’s, allowing him to return home first to begin preparations for the New Year. This year’s celebration would be different from previous years, with a new addition to the family—Xia Jiqing.

As this thought crossed his mind, Qi Yuan grew puzzled. If Xia Jiqing had existed in the previous Dreamscape and was indeed a Zerg, why hadn’t he encountered him?

Had some unforeseen incident occurred?