What's Wrong with This Alpha? - Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – Good Scream

Outside the school building, rain poured down.

One person’s loneliness became two people’s loneliness.

Duan Yi squatted on the ground, Sheng Yunze leaned against the wall. The schoolyard lights stretched their shadows long, casting them onto the wall where they clung together.

“I can’t wait anymore!” Duan Yi said angrily after five minutes of silence. “Let’s just run back through the rain.”

“I don’t want to,” Sheng Yunze said.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s stupid.”

Duan Yi refused to back down. “I came back through the rain to get you!”

Sheng Yunze glanced at him. “Are you trying to remind me how stupid you are?”

Duan Yi pouted, staying crouched on the ground.

He’d even felt bad for Sheng Yunze and rushed back, only to get this jerk attitude!

The more Duan Yi thought about it, the more he felt life wasn’t worth it. I’m an idiot.

“What are you thinking?”

Duan Yi answered simply, “I’m an idiot.”

Sheng Yunze stopped, touched. “I thought you were secretly cursing me in your head.”

Duan Yi: ……

Fuck! This is the second time tonight he’s embarrassed and angry. “I said you’re an idiot!”

“Oh, insulting a class officer. Minus one point,” Sheng Yunze said.

“Damn! Are you serious? You’re only remembering your role as class secretary now? I’m still the class president…”

“Right. And you insulted the class president too. Minus two points.”

Duan Yi: …

He glared at Sheng Yunze’s face, ready to stare a hole through it.

But after staring, he calmed down. Because Sheng Yunze’s face was really handsome.

Pale skin, long bangs covering his eyes, giving him a lazy but sharp look.

Feeling bored, Duan Yi looked away at the pouring rain.

“What’s with your nails?” Sheng Yunze asked.

“Fang Yun painted them,” Duan Yi said, not interested. His mind was already at the dorm, thinking about hot water, red legs from steaming, ah… How happy it would be to soak feet in cold rain while drinking tea and watching the rain outside. Even Jiang Wangshu’s Happy Little Lamb foot basin would seem cute.

What comet hit his head? Why is he playing a life-and-death game in the rain with Sheng Yunze here?

But Duan Yi thought again. He hadn’t been home for so long. Jiang Wangshu must be worried about him. Maybe he’ll come to the school building soon with an umbrella.

“Hahaha! Me worry about Duan Yi? What’s there to worry about? If he’s not back so late, he’s probably out chasing girls.”

In Room 301, Jiang Wangshu held a hot water bottle, soaking his feet and playing cards. He said calmly, “Do you think I don’t know you, Room Leader Duan? Don’t worry. He’ll come back when he’s done having fun.”

The Fat Boy said, “Is it really okay in such heavy rain?”

The Bookworm said, “It’s almost 10 o’clock…”

Jiang Wangshu said, “Don’t worry. If anything happens, Duan Yi will call me.”

“It’s off.”

Duan Yi took out his phone and pressed the screen hard a few times.

His legs were numb from squatting. He stood up and staggered. Sheng Yunze quickly caught him.

Duan Yi weakly said, “Thank you…”

Sheng Yunze: “Don’t need to thank me.”

Duan Yi: “I’m not really thanking you anyway.”

Sheng Yunze: …

He shouted, “I’m going back now! If I die, so be it!”

Duan Yi rolled up his pants and rushed into the rain. Before Sheng Yunze could stop him, Duan Yi slipped and fell hard below the steps.

Three minutes later, Sheng Yunze half-squatted in front of Duan Yi and said expressionlessly, “Great. Now you can’t go back to your dorm and you’ve achieved your goal of injuring your leg. Do you want me to give you a ‘Disabled but Determined’ flag?”

Duan Yi, feeling wronged, whined, “How was I supposed to know there was moss on the steps…?”

Sheng Yunze: “The road is slippery in the rain.”

He rolled up Duan Yi’s school pants and saw his bruised ankle.

Duan Yi: “Is it broken?”

Sheng Yunze shook his head: “Just twisted.”

Duan Yi muttered, “Why didn’t you stop me earlier?”

Sheng Yunze lifted his eyelid. “Could I stop him? He dashed out like a rabbit.”

Duan Yi: “What now? You can’t just leave me here, can you…?”

He stared at Sheng Yunze, eyes wide with fear.

Seeing his expression, Sheng Yunze realized Duan Yi wasn’t pretending to be scared—he was truly frightened.

His playful teasing vanished. His cold voice became strong and comforting, “I won’t.”

Duan Yi showed weakness. “I’m afraid of the dark…” He paused, then quickly added, “Actually, I’m afraid of ghosts. Don’t tell anyone.”

“Why?”

Duan Yi hated himself. “It’s embarrassing!”

Not mentioning it was fine, but as soon as the word “ghosts” came up, Duan Yi started acting strange.

He looked around suspiciously. The school building, which he hadn’t noticed before, now seemed like a huge monster with its mouth open, hiding countless ghosts and monsters in its dark holes.

The stair entrances scared Duan Yi the most. He quickly focused his eyes on Sheng Yunze’s school badge.

In that moment, all the scary campus legends flooded into his mind.

The missing Dean’s Office, the highway school built on graves, the third-floor women’s restroom’s locked door that never opens, the teaching building’s wandering ghosts, the restless patrolling teacher…

“Who’s there?” a voice suddenly asked from behind him.

“AAAAAAHHHH!!!!”

Duan Yi let out a miserable, earth-shattering scream, then instinctively tried to curl himself into a ball and shove himself into Sheng Yunze’s arms.

Sheng Yunze’s heartbeat suddenly sped up. He almost fumbled before finally managing to catch Duan Yi in his arms.

The white beam of the flashlight swept around. Disordered footsteps came closer from far away.

The security guard at the school gate tugged at his cap and said in surprise, “Student? Out this late and still not back to the dorm?”

Duan Yi, scared out of his wits, clung tightly to Sheng Yunze. Sheng Yunze couldn’t move, so he patted him on the back and said, “We don’t have an umbrella.”

Security guard: “I heard a scream, so I came running.”

He pointed his flashlight at Duan Yi. “What’s up with your classmate?”

Sheng Yunze pulled at the corner of his mouth, his expression complicated. “He twisted his ankle.”

“Wow, you screamed so loud earlier. You scared me.”

Duan Yi finally calmed down, his face red from embarrassment. He squirmed out of Sheng Yunze’s arms.

The security guard left them an umbrella and continued patrolling other classrooms.

Sheng Yunze shoved the umbrella into Duan Yi’s hands, then took off his backpack and put it on his front.

“Get on.” He crouched down.

“Where?” Duan Yi asked.

“My back. Do I need to say it again? If you can walk by yourself, pretend I didn’t say anything.”

Every step hurt for Duan Yi, so he couldn’t walk. He clutched the umbrella and leaned against Sheng Yunze’s back, suddenly feeling embarrassed. “Am I too heavy?”

Sheng Yunze’s face was deadpan. “Yes, pig.”

Duan Yi: =口=!

He suddenly hit Sheng Yunze’s back. “How can you say that?”

“Are you a woman? Do you need me to comfort you?”

Duan Yi: …

“Hold the umbrella.” Sheng Yunze told him.

Duan Yi opened the umbrella, and Sheng Yunze walked into the rain.

Outside was heavy rain. Inside was light rain.

Duan Yi thought for a moment. “I think the security guard’s umbrella isn’t very good.”

Raindrops from the umbrella hit Sheng Yunze’s collar. “It’s obvious. I noticed too.”

Duan Yi said optimistically, “At least we have an umbrella. Why be picky?”

Sheng Yunze said, “Right. What if you carried me instead? I won’t be picky.”

Duan Yi refused, huffing loudly. He held the umbrella and bent down, wrapping his arms around Sheng Yunze’s neck. His face pressed against Sheng Yunze’s back, hot breaths hitting his neck.

Sheng Yunze pressed his lips together, wanting to say Duan Yi was too close.

But Duan Yi didn’t notice. Sheng Yunze held his legs, white, delicate calves swaying in the dark.

The boy was surprisingly light, like walking on cotton.

Sheng Yunze had never felt the path from the school building to the dormitory so long, like it had no end.

Duan Yi’s limping back to the dormitory caused Jiang Wangshu’s wailing.

They spent the night cleaning wounds, changing clothes, and rushing around.

After bathing, Duan Yi lay on the bed with his phone hidden in the lower bed’s outlet to charge.

He knocked on the fat guy’s bed. “Hey downstairs, bring my phone to the second floor.”

The fat guy was half-asleep from reading. He sat up, papers falling all over the bed.

Duan Yi took the phone. It had only 40% battery left. He logged into WeChat. “Someone’s” last message was still “Goodnight” from two days ago.

He tossed and turned on the bed for half an hour before sending, “Are you asleep?”

Sheng Yunze didn’t reply. Duan Yi propped his chin on his fist, legs swinging, “Are you going to Jian Qiao’s birthday party?”

Still no reply. Duan Yi thought he must be asleep. He turned to play with his phone, but it slipped from his hand and hit his nose. The pain made him roll around on the bed.

Sheng Yunze’s message came.

[ Someone ] : Did you send me a midnight message just to ask that?

Duan Yi was surprised. [ You’re not asleep? ]

[ Someone ] : I’m asleep. Now it’s a ghost chatting with you.

Duan Yi made a small sound, muttering, “Can’t even joke with you.”

Duan Yi’s WeChat name was “+v see crab recipe”, previously “Ordinary high school boy Little Duan”, with the bio: “Locally famous handsome guy”.

He changed it quickly, just got an idea, and changed his name to “Little Duan Little Duan, no need to worry about rain”.

Sheng Yunze saw he changed his name and profile picture while chatting with him. A small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Duan Yi lay on his bed and decided to send something heartfelt. [ Bro, thanks for carrying me last night #tear emoji ]

[ Someone ] : I’m asleep. Goodnight.

[ Someone ] : That was a good scream.

The red blush on Duan Yi’s neck climbed higher until his whole face turned red: ……

He sent a “Goodnight” back, turned off his phone, and lay down.

But he couldn’t sleep again.

Those words—Sheng Yunze had said them to him in a parallel world—in bed.

Time passed. At midnight, Duan Yi finally sat up in bed, scared. Did he ruin me? Was he talking dirty? Did he tease me? Fuck! I’m not his wife yet—why would he do this?

He stared wide-eyed for ten minutes, then finally fell asleep from exhaustion.

Author’s Note:

School Beauty: My wife is so cute—he must have been a rice dumpling in his last life.