What's Wrong with This Alpha? - Chapter 31

Chapter 31 – Missing You

Afterward, Duan Yi remained motionless on the bed for a full ten minutes, waiting for Sheng Yunze to calm down.

The latter finally got up to wash up. Duan Yi flipped off the bed like a carp leaping, then vanished in a flash from the doorway of room 306.

He couldn’t stay there any longer. Duan Yi ran faster than a rabbit, completely unable to imagine how to face Sheng Yunze.

Fortunately, the awkward situations between them had already circled the Pacific Ocean three times over. They’d become so accustomed to the awkwardness that even Duan Yi found it strange. Why did he always create such an awkward atmosphere around Sheng Yunze?

It wouldn’t be the same with Jiang Wangshu. If Jiang Wangshu dared to raise his flag in front of him, Duan Yi’s signature move—the Duan Family Ancestral Foot—would leave no Alpha ghost unpunished.

Betas wouldn’t fare any better.

He’d planned to take a shower, pretend nothing had happened, and then shamelessly cling to Sheng Yunze again.

But then Xiaoduan Mom called, urging Duan Yi to come home immediately. Xiaoduan Dad had returned from Beijing.

Xiaoduan Dad, whose full name was Duan Ji Huai, was the quintessential domineering, wealthy, taciturn, devoted, and single-minded male lead from a romance novel. He was handsome, long-legged, had an eight-pack, and possessed a cold, aloof charm that captivated all who saw him.

Xiaoduan Mom’s arranged marriage turned into true love for no other reason than that she was incredibly foolish yet stunningly beautiful. Her looks and intelligence were inversely proportional. She was a pea princess, a pampered beauty with nothing to offer but her face. Even a minor scratch would send her wailing, “Husband, husband!” for half a day. Her life’s greatest goal was to outshine all of humanity in beauty, and her most crushing setback was when the wealthy wife next door claimed a portion of her yard.

Xiaoduan Dad, a straightforward Alpha, was completely smitten by this.

Following the typical CEO novel formula, Duan Yi and his brother were merely beautiful accidents in the main characters’ love story, unworthy of appearing in the main text and relegated to the epilogue.

Duan Yi had been beaten up so many times as a child for being mischievous that he was now somewhat afraid of his father.

When Xiaoduan Mom told him to come home, Duan Yi stood at the villa’s entrance, taking several deep breaths before finally stepping inside.

Xiaoduan Dad saw him enter but remained seated on the sofa, his back still.

Duan Yi silently breathed a sigh of relief and, carrying his backpack, tried to sneak upstairs. Then he heard his father’s cold, indifferent voice, “Duan Er, homework.”

Duan Yi let out a silent “wail” of despair and tried to ingratiate himself, “Dad, actually, we didn’t have any homework assigned this week.”

Xiaoduan Dad replied calmly, “Do you think that because you’re seventeen, I can’t still beat you?”

Duan Yi’s alarm bells immediately went off, “My injuries from the car accident haven’t fully healed yet!”

Xiaoduan Dad finally showed a hint of worry. “Didn’t your mom say you were completely fine? What’s the problem now?”

Duan Yi seized the opportunity to play the victim, begging his father to forget about his homework. According to international convention, after asking about homework, his father would inevitably ask about his exam scores. Duan Yi had come in last place on his last exam, and his score was so low it wouldn’t even be enough to plaster a wall.

“Gege~” Xiaoduan Mom cheerfully emerged from the kitchen carrying a fruit platter. Her well-maintained face didn’t look like a middle-aged woman’s; she looked only in her twenties. She always called Xiaoduan Dad “Gege.”

Duan Yi found their marital affection cloying, but when he heard the word “Gege,” he was suddenly horrified, remembering the two times he had called Sheng Yunze “Gege” during the sports meet.

Did I really sound that affectionate?

No, no, I can’t call him that again. It’s too weird.

Actually, it hadn’t seemed strange before, but after hearing Xiaoduan Mom call her husband “Gege,” Duan Yi felt uneasy.

“Can you stop calling him that?” Duan Yi complained.

Xiaoduan Mom leaned back on the sofa. “How else should I call him? When your dad and I were dating, he loved it when I called him ‘Gege.'”

Duan Yi covered his ears with a blank expression. “Don’t say any more.”

He turned to Duan Ji Huai. “Dad, why did you suddenly come home? Weren’t you supposed to be working on that project until the end of the year?”

Duan Ji Huai: “Something unexpected came up. Where’s your homework?”

Damn, why still bring that up?

“I… left it at school. Didn’t bring it home,” Duan Yi said guiltily.

“What’s in your backpack? Let me check,” Xiaoduan Dad said sternly.

Duan Yi opened his backpack. Inside were a few pristine books. Duan Ji Huai let out a cold snort, a forced smile on his face.

The only two completed test papers inside were the ones Sheng Yunze had taught him yesterday at his dorm.

Duan Ji Huai examined the papers, a hint of surprise on his face. “Not many mistakes.”

Duan Yi’s mind raced. Dad, are you some kind of freak? How can a forty-year-old still remember high school material?

Xiaoduan Mom quickly chimed in, “Baby’s been improving lately! Now that he’s in his third year, he’s definitely buckling down.”

“Mm,” Duan Ji Huai said slowly, continuing to read.

Buzz. Duan Yi’s phone vibrated against his thigh.

Sheng Yunze’s WeChat name popped up, and Duan Yi’s heart skipped a beat.

Like a thief, he shifted five steps away from Duan Ji Huai, who had been facing him, and sat on the farthest sofa.

[ Did you run away? ]

Sheng Yunze’s message had a hint of accusation.

Duan Yi thought for a moment and replied: [ Who ran away? I had something come up at home, so I went home. ]

The response came almost instantly.

[ Oh. 

I’m not going to class tomorrow. ]

Duan Yi raised an eyebrow, surprised. [ Why? ]

[ Competition. ]

[ Are you leaving tomorrow? ] Duan Yi asked.

[ Yeah.

I’ll leave Monday and be back next week. ]

Next week…

Duan Yi counted on his fingers. He wouldn’t see Sheng Yunze for seven days.

Damn it. If he’d known, he wouldn’t have run so fast just now.

Duan Yi felt a little disappointed.

Duan Ji Huai looked up and saw his son wearing a lovesick expression. Alarm bells rang in his mind. “Duan Er.”

“Hmm…” Duan Yi stared listlessly at his phone, his expression listless. He didn’t even glance at his father.

Duan Ji Huai asked strangely, “Who are you chatting with?”

“A classmate from our class.”

“Male or female?”

“Male.” Duan Yi added, “An Alpha.”

Duan Ji Huai grew even more suspicious, his vigilance at its peak. “Is it that Nan Yi from your middle school?”

Duan Yi: =口=!

“How could it be? He’s repeating a grade and is in second year now. This is a new classmate from this year’s class, who used to go to Attached Middle School.”

Hearing Nan Yi’s name, Xiaoduan Mom perked up. “Oh, that was Xiaoduan first love!”

Duan Yi: ……

Don’t bring up that embarrassing, immature black history.

That wasn’t even real love. They broke up before they could even share a kiss.

Duan Ji Huai warned him, “Principal He sent a text to parents emphasizing normal interactions between students. Duan Er, you haven’t started dating early, have you?”

“Where would I even find someone to date?” Duan Yi said with a bitter smile, thinking, I’d need a partner first! “We’re in our third year of high school. Who has time for dating? It would just distract me from studying.”

Duan Ji Huai was skeptical. “Just make sure you know what you’re doing.”

But he still wasn’t reassured. “I heard Nan Yi transferred back from abroad and is now at your Second High School. He’s only in his second year.”

The implication was clear: If you can’t date in your third year, can’t you date someone in their second year?

Besides, with Duan Yi’s terrible grades, it wouldn’t make much difference whether he dated or not.

Duan Yi waved his hand dismissively. “Dad, don’t worry. Do I look like the type to go back to an ex? Besides, the classmate I’ve been talking to is someone I only met this year. He’s really amazing—he’s even participating in a competition next week.”

Duan Ji Huai was slightly surprised. “You can still make friends like that?”

“What do you mean ‘still can’? I’m really close with him—”

Duan Yi wanted to say, We’re really good friends. Don’t look down on him. Sheng Yunze was once your son-in-law, after all.

On second thought, since these were stories from parallel worlds, Duan Yi changed his tune, “I’m on pretty good terms with him. The test you saw? He taught me how to do it.”

Duan Ji Huai nodded approvingly. “That’s right. Make more friends with outstanding classmates and strive to improve yourself.”

“Got it, got it…” Duan Yi tried to slip away.

But Duan Ji Huai pinned him to the desk, watching him word by word until he finished all the test papers.

During Monday morning self-study, Duan Yi was slumped over his desk, fast asleep. Jiang Wangshu had arrived early, but seeing Duan Yi there even earlier scared him to death.

“Xiaoduan, have you turned over a new leaf?” Jiang Wangshu asked, dropping his backpack.

Duan Yi turned his head and continued sleeping. “Leave me alone. My dad went crazy yesterday and flew back from Beijing. He made me do homework until 1 a.m. I’m going insane.”

Jiang Wangshu understood Xiaoduan Dad’s feelings. Neither Duan Yi nor Duan Shaoheng were good students. Duan Shaoheng had been a troublemaker since middle school, skipping class, fighting, and consistently scoring at the bottom of the class. The two brothers seemed to have inherited all their intelligence from Xiaoduan Mom, which made Xiaoduan Dad very anxious.

“Secretary Sheng isn’t here today?” Hao Shanshan asked half an hour later, arriving at class.

With most students present, Jiang Wangshu called roll and then said, “I don’t know. Did he take leave?”

Hao Shanshan: “Could it be competition training? Fang Yun isn’t here either.”

Duan Yi turned to look at Sheng Yunze’s empty seat.

After changing seats, he had finally become desk mates with Sheng Yunze, only for the other boy to stop coming to school altogether, disappearing for a whole week.

Duan Yi felt a hollow ache in his heart.

Jiang Wangshu: “The competition is important. They should be back before the midterm exams.”

Hao Shanshan: “I’ll text Fang Yun and ask where they’re training. I heard it’s with First High School. Could they have gone there?”

Abbot chimed in: “Isn’t this year’s competition exam being held at Seventh High School?”

Jiang Wangshu exclaimed, “Holy shit! Training at Seventh High? Isn’t that where Fu Ya is? The girl who shamelessly harassed our school beauty at the sports meet?”

Hao Shanshan: “I remember.”

Suddenly, she looked at Duan Yi with a consoling gaze. “Dad, is my new mother going to turn into a butterfly and fly away?”

“Fly your sister!” Duan Yi thought of Fu Ya as well, but his heart remained relatively calm, only slightly annoyed.

Meanwhile, in the Seventh High School’s experimental building’s multimedia classroom, the two competition classes—comprising students from First High School, Second High School, and six other high schools—split into two classrooms for training.

Based on their rankings in the Provincial Competition, Sheng Yunze sat in Multimedia Classroom 1. His appearance immediately caused a stir among the crowd, accompanied by hushed whispers.

Indeed, handsome men always become the center of attention wherever they go.

Fang Yun, ranked at the bottom, was assigned to the same classroom as Sheng Yunze. However, she didn’t sit with him but instead sat next to a girl from First High School, which seemed rather out of place.

The girl asked, “Fang Yun, why aren’t you sitting with your classmates?”

Fang Yun replied calmly, “Since you seem to like him so much, why don’t you sit with him?”

The girl blushed. “I just admire him. How can you call it liking? Besides, who doesn’t like handsome guys? You’re from the same school as him. Don’t you have any feelings for him?”

“Not everyone likes his type,” Fang Yun muttered, thinking of Duan Yi.

My sister refused to give up. “Do you have his WeChat? Can you push it to me so I can add him and chat?”

“Chat about what? Competition questions? I advise you to give up. He’s famous at our school for being aloof. You’ll just get shut down. He doesn’t care if you’re male or female, Alpha or Omega. He treats everyone the same. He doesn’t give anyone face. You’ll only embarrass yourself.”

As she spoke, a short-haired girl with slightly curly hair appeared at the door of the multimedia classroom.

“Hey, it’s Fu Ya,” one of the girls from First High School said.

Fu Ya peeked inside for a moment, her eyes lighting up when she saw Sheng Yunze.

Sheng Yunze was wearing headphones and didn’t hear her even after she called out several times.

Fu Ya didn’t seem embarrassed. She had someone tap Sheng Yunze’s desk, and he finally looked up and noticed her.

Fu Ya held up a cup of milk tea, shaking it slightly. “I bought this for you. Have you ever been to Seventh High School? Add me on WeChat, and I’ll take you around.”

Sheng Yunze looked Fu Ya up and down with amusement and said sarcastically, “Who are you?”

Fu Ya stiffened for a moment. “At the sports meet, we co-hosted the event. Don’t you remember?”

“I forgot,” Sheng Yunze replied without a moment’s hesitation. “Get out of the way.”

Fu Ya stood awkwardly in place, holding her Milk Tea.

Fang Yun clicked her tongue. “See? That’s just how he is. You still dare to talk to him?”

The girls from First High School’s faces changed. “Damn, he’s so cold! Looks like he’s destined to die alone. Doesn’t he have any friends in your class?”

Fang Yun narrowed her eyes. “No…” she said slowly. “He actually has pretty good relationships in our class.”

“What the hell?” The girls were stunned. “Is your class full of shallow people like me who only care about looks?”

Fang Yun couldn’t explain how she felt. She could only say, “You don’t understand. He didn’t earn his popularity himself. It’s just… our Class President is really popular and gets along well with him. He basically relies on our Class President to hang out with others.”

Come to think of it, that was exactly how it was.

If Sheng Yunze was alone in the classroom, few people would approach him to chat or ask questions.

But whenever Duan Yi was around, Sheng Yunze would silently integrate into the group. At that moment, whether he was asking for help or just chatting, he seemed approachable and easy to talk to.

Duan Yi was like a key that unlocked his heart, pulling him by the hand from a closed room into the open air.

“Your class president is amazing,” his sister said, giving him a thumbs-up. “Doesn’t it feel awkward talking to him? Is he dating someone? Male or female?”

“Male,” Fang Yun said, disliking the word female. “The class president is an Alpha.”

His sister sighed, “Too bad.”

The next day, Fu Ya was still waiting for Sheng Yunze outside the multimedia classroom. Despite repeated failures, she remained undeterred. Seventh High School had an internal forum where students constantly discussed the matter, marveling at Fu Ya’s relentless pursuit while Sheng Yunze remained completely unmoved. Truly worthy of his title as Second High School’s High Mountain Flower.

Yet the High Mountain Flower’s heart wasn’t quite as aloof as his reputation suggested. His mind was buzzing with calculations. Duan Yi had said “good night” last night, and since then, he’d been as silent as the dead. His message box remained motionless, making Sheng Yunze suspect he’d been blocked.

While waiting for his takeout, Sheng Yunze closed his eyes for a quick nap. The students in the competition class, drawn from different schools, couldn’t help but steal glances at him. To be fair, his face was flawless. But God had not only opened the door to his beauty but also to his intelligence. After just one day of classes, everyone realized Sheng Yunze’s abilities were on a completely different level. If everyone else was at level ten, Sheng Yunze was already at max level.

Some bold students tried asking Sheng Yunze for help with problems, but he ignored them. He acted like the Little Dragon Maiden, wearing headphones and shutting out the world.

He was so hard to approach. they’d never seen him show any emotion.

Fu Ya, sitting next to Sheng Yunze, kept talking to herself.

When Sheng Yunze didn’t respond, she eventually stopped talking and just stayed by his side, trying to create a sense of intimacy.

Sheng Yunze couldn’t be bothered to look at her. He simply rested his head on the desk and closed his eyes. Just as he was drifting off, a commotion erupted in the classroom.

At first, Sheng Yunze didn’t open his eyes. But the noise grew louder until a delivery meal suddenly appeared in front of him.

“Hey, Meituan delivery,” Duan Yi said with a grin.

Sheng Yunze, still wearing his headphones, looked up in surprise.

Fu Ya was stunned. What the hell? You could hear me all along? Were you just pretending to be deaf and mute earlier?

Duan Yi unwrapped the meal, basking in his own handsomeness. “So, what do you think? Are you moved? Do you want to cry? Don’t worry, Xiaoduan’s shoulder is free to borrow today. No charge.”

Despite his words, he was a little nervous. It had been two days since they’d last seen each other, and this sudden reunion felt awkward.

Sheng Yunze’s expression softened like melting snow, revealing a tenderness he rarely showed. “How did you get in here?”

Fu Ya’s heart skipped a beat, a strange mix of emotions swirling within her. She sensed an odd tension between Duan Yi and Sheng Yunze.

Duan Yi plopped down casually. “Climbing walls? That’s my specialty.”

Then he turned to Fu Ya. “You’re in the Competition Class too?”

Fu Ya forced an awkward smile. “No.”

“Ah.” Duan Yi continued, “You were the host at the last sports meet. Why are you here looking for Sheng Yunze?”

Fu Ya hesitated. “I…”

Duan Yi chuckled. “He’s busy right now.”

He was clearly trying to get her to leave.

After Fu Ya left, Duan Yi teased Sheng Yunze, “Secretary Sheng, as expected of you. You attract admirers wherever you go.”

“I don’t know her,” Sheng Yunze said, unwrapping the takeout. “Why is there an extra portion?”

Duan Yi replied matter-of-factly, “That’s for Fang Yun.”

Sheng Yunze’s expression cracked. “Weren’t you here just to see me?”

Duan Yi grinned sheepishly. “Old Class Teacher arranged for someone to bring you two extra meals to boost your brainpower so you can win the competition.”

Sheng Yunze: ……

Duan Yi pulled out Fang Yun’s portion and glanced around, noticing no one was paying attention to their corner.

He quickly added, “Actually, Old Class Teacher wanted Jiang Wangshu to come.”

Sheng Yunze scoffed.

Duan Yi propped his chin on his hand. “But I wanted to see you, so I volunteered.”

Sheng Yunze retorted sarcastically, “Didn’t Old Class Teacher arrange for you to come?”

Duan Yi replied bluntly, “Old Class Teacher can’t arrange for me to want to see you.”

The air froze for a moment.

Sheng Yunze was driven nearly mad by Duan Yi’s attitude. His heart pounded erratically. “Are you a spy sent by First High School? Deliberately trying to disrupt our morale?”

Duan Yi stammered slightly as he explained, “Actually, I’m a little nervous too. I thought it might sound bad to say it like that. But I really wanted to see you, so I said it anyway.”

Sheng Yunze asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Duan Yi replied, “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, ‘I don’t know’?”

“I just don’t know,” Duan Yi insisted stubbornly. “I wanted to see you, so I came to see you. I came to hang out with you.”

Sheng Yunze remained silent.

He wanted to ask Duan Yi what he was thinking, but this wasn’t the right time.

With the Competition and the National College Entrance Examination looming, every second counted. There was no time to deal with this sudden, unfamiliar emotion.

Sheng Yunze stared coldly at Duan Yi, his voice icy as he threatened, “You better mean what I think you mean.”

Translator’s Note:

Good day, readers! Hehe, just a quick update~ I’m going to change the nickname “Commander Sheng” to “Secretary Sheng.” I read a few chapters ahead and finally realize (You read it right) that Sheng Yunze is actually a member of a political organization at school. Each class usually has a “League Secretary” who organizes political activities for students. So, he’s not a secretary in the traditional sense, it’s just his title. Anyway, I’ll make a schedule to edit the previous chapters. Sorry for the confusion, hehe~

Also, just to clarify, Chairman Jiang and President Duan are more like honorary titles. They don’t really handle class matters, only occasionally. Most of the time, it’s actually their friends who take care of everything and do the real work behind the scenes~