Noble Academy's Mob Character: Reborn as the Campus Heartthrob - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Waiting by the Stump

Qi Yuan felt awkward, but he said nothing.

He waved a quick greeting, and after seeing the other person pause briefly and nod in acknowledgment, he lowered his head and pretended to be dead.

With Yang Huaiyuan sitting next to him, Qi Yuan couldn’t make any big moves.

He could only console himself that this brief session would be over soon. There was a specialized class in the afternoon in a different classroom. He would just need to be careful about where he sat and make sure he didn’t end up next to Yang Huaiyuan again.

When the time came, the class advisor entered, gave a brief speech, and held elections for class representatives, which took up some time. Afterward, they dismissed the class early, saying they didn’t want to waste anyone’s time.

The students gradually dispersed from the classroom.

Qi Yuan’s phone, which had been lying on the desk, accidentally slipped and fell to the floor, landing right next to Yang Huaiyuan’s feet.

He bent down to pick it up, but to his surprise, the person next to him showed no sign of moving. Yang Huaiyuan’s long legs remained firmly planted under the desk, unyielding.

Qi Yuan really wanted to reach out and push Yang Huaiyuan’s legs aside a bit. He also worried that the fall might have damaged his phone—he wasn’t ready to buy a new one yet.

His head was now very close to Yang Huaiyuan’s legs, so close he could practically feel their weight.

Yang Huaiyuan stiffened slightly. He wasn’t used to being so close to anyone, and while it felt unfamiliar, it lacked the repulsion he’d felt during previous encounters with others.

Out of the corner of his eye, Qi Yuan saw his plainly dressed deskmate pick up the phone. A long crack stretched across the screen, but it still turned on, though the new blemish marred its appearance.

The phone clearly showed its age, confirming his suspicion that the guy was a poor student—pretty broke, actually.

Qi Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. Gazing at the still-functional device, he gently traced the crack with his fingertip. This phone was definitely due for retirement. He resolved to replace it with his first month’s wages.

He needed to get into the Student Council quickly; recruitment was in just three days.

With that thought, he realized how busy he’d be.

Qi Yuan tucked the phone into his pocket. The classroom was nearly empty. He stood up, ready to head to the cafeteria on the campus shuttle. With his meal card, he could enjoy free, steaming-hot meals.

He pushed up his glasses, leaving only his departing silhouette behind.

Behind him, Yang Huaiyuan’s clenched fist relaxed. In the now-empty classroom, only he remained.

“Young Master, shall we head back?”

Moments later, after his own class had ended, a burly young man with a buzz cut and an honest face hurried over. His name was Shi Xiu, Yang Huaiyuan’s companion and bodyguard on campus. He approached Yang Huaiyuan from behind.

“Mm-hmm,” Yang Huaiyuan replied tonelessly, rising to leave.

After finishing his meal, Qi Yuan strolled along the artificial lake, rubbing his overstuffed stomach.

The cafeteria food suited his taste buds perfectly, and he’d inadvertently eaten too much.

He walked for a while to digest, then settled onto a bench when his legs grew tired. Gazing at the clear lake water, he watched several swans glide gracefully across the surface, followed by their newly hatched cygnets—a heartwarming sight, almost as adorable as ducklings.

As noon approached, the sun grew increasingly intense. Qi Yuan decided to return to his dormitory for a nap before afternoon classes.

But a voice behind him froze him in place. After listening, he dared not get up, fearing he’d draw their attention.

“Brother Xu, why do you think Big Brother wants us guarding this spot to catch that guy he missed last time?”

A freckled, average-looking youth, neither fat nor thin, asked Xu Yu, a redhead with sharp, fox-like eyes, his curiosity palpable.

“No idea. Can’t read the Boss this time.”

Xu Yu was genuinely stumped. Usually, the Boss’s thoughts were written all over his face, but this time, he remained an enigma.

“Even Brother Xu can’t figure it out?” Wu Yun muttered under his breath. “Forget it. Let’s just do our job and find the Boss’s target. But with so many four-eyed nerds at the academy, how could we possibly catch anyone by just sitting here like rabbits waiting to be caught?”

Wu Yun voiced his skepticism, seeing this approach as futile as searching for a needle in a haystack.

Xu Yu agreed. “True.”

Nearby, Qi Yuan remained silent.

Sorry, guys. You actually managed to catch a rabbit just by sitting still.

After enjoying his meal, Qi Yuan had completely forgotten about being chased by You Qinghe near the artificial lake. Now, here he was, practically walking right into their trap.

Xu Yu, ever vigilant, scanned his surroundings. When he spotted a familiar figure sitting on a bench not far away, he couldn’t help but feel a jolt of surprise. Could Wu Yun and I really be this lucky? Did our rabbit-waiting strategy actually pay off?

He shot Wu Yun a meaningful glance. After a moment of confusion, Wu Yun’s eyes widened in realization. The two of them immediately charged toward Qi Yuan, who was sitting on the bench.

“Excuse me, classmate…”

Xu Yu’s lips curled into a smirk as he patted Qi Yuan’s shoulder. But before he could finish his sentence, he froze mid-word.

A strikingly handsome face came into view, unadorned by glasses. His eyes, like shimmering pools of water, glowed with a gentle light, his cheeks flushed a delicate pink. Sweat-dampened bangs had been brushed aside, revealing a full, rounded forehead.

“Can I help you?” His voice trembled slightly, betraying his nervousness and fear as he faced the two aggressive figures.

“No… nothing,” Xu Yu stammered, recovering his composure. “Sorry to bother you.”

He quickly retreated with Wu Yun, but glanced back repeatedly as they walked away, puzzling Wu Yun.

Phew.

Relieved to see them go, Qi Yuan let out a breath and hurried back to his dorm.

He didn’t notice the faint click from nearby.

Back in his room, collapsing onto his bed, Qi Yuan vowed never to go near the artificial lake again—not even at gunpoint.

I never imagined You Qinghe would send someone to stalk me like this, he thought. What a psycho.

Qi Yuan and You Qinghe had absolutely no connection in reality. He genuinely couldn’t understand what You Qinghe was up to. Did he want to beat him up?

But Qi Yuan hadn’t provoked him. Why would he want to hit me?

Qi Yuan couldn’t think of any other reasons, but this was his only guess for now. If that was the case, he absolutely couldn’t let You Qinghe catch him.

He took his glasses out of his pocket and placed them on the nearby table, rubbing his eyes. After wearing them for so long, suddenly taking them off felt strange and uncomfortable.

Setting an alarm on his phone, he decided to take a nap. He’d woken up early that morning and felt drowsy after lunch.

Unbeknownst to Qi Yuan, while he slept, photos of him—without his glasses—were being posted on the school forum:

Look at this Beauty I Snapped

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Comment Section:

User 1: When did we get such a stunning beauty on campus?

User 2: Is he a freshman? That can’t be right. If he were a freshman, his photos would have been all over the forum on the first day, just like Wu Xinxi and the others.

User 3: I haven’t heard of any freshmen with delayed enrollment.

User 4: An upperclassman, then?

5th Floor: Maybe this freshman just dressed down so much on orientation day that no one noticed them.

6th Floor: Now I’m really curious. Just how ugly did this freshman have to dress to completely hide such good looks?

7th Floor: +1

8th Floor: +1

55th Floor: +1

(Unauthorized posting of someone else’s photo. This thread has been locked.)