What's Wrong with This Alpha? - Chapter 34

Chapter 34—Yes

“2B pencil, black pen, eraser, admission ticket…” Hao Shanshan counted over and over in her Sailor Moon pencil case.

Sitting in front of Duan Yi, she repeated like a mantra until he could almost recite it.

“How many times are you going to say that? My ears are bleeding,” he grumbled. “You’re just a 2B (Silly).”

“President Duan, if you’re criticizing me, where’s your pen?”

Duan Yi only had an admission ticket showing he was taking the exam in the cafeteria.

A pen core without a cap, a bubble-filling pen sponsored by Jiang Wangshu, half a Sakura eraser from sponsor Fang Yun.

Jiang Wangshu closed his ancient poetry flashcards, muttering to himself. Feeling 90% confident he’d score 125, he came over to chat with Duan Yi.

“Is your mid-term exam in the cafeteria?”

“Does that even need to be said? President Duan scored over 300 on the last monthly exam. The cafeteria is his final resting place, the shore of his wandering fate, the soil of his deep love.” The Abbot poked his head over, delivering the lines with dramatic flair.

At Second High School, seating arrangements for major exams were always based on previous test scores.

The top hundred students sat in the first three classrooms of the lab building, middle-ranked students were scattered across various classes in the teaching building, and the worst students were sent to take exams in the cafeteria.

They still sat in order of student ID numbers from front to back.

The students who performed poorly would never get answers to copy. Without their own effort, no one could save them.

In Third Year Class 1, only Duan Yi took the exam in the cafeteria, while the rest were distributed among the first four classes. He was truly isolated: there wasn’t even anyone to copy answers from.

Duan Yi refused to chat with the top students. Rarely, he took out a book and flipped through it, leaving Fang Yun stunned.

“I never thought I’d see President Duan flipping through a book in my lifetime.”

“Don’t make me sound so ignorant, okay?” Duan Yi replied.

Jiang Wangshu made a funny face. “You don’t get it, do you? These past few days, President Duan keeps sneaking into Secretary Sheng’s dorm whenever he has free time. He’s walking a tightrope for love.”

Fang Yun’s expression stiffened slightly. “Huh? When did their relationship become so close?”

“Very close,” Jiang Wangshu said. “Look who Secretary Sheng gives tutoring to. In our class, only President Duan gets this treatment.”

Pingtou drifted over, speaking sourly. “I was in the same class as Secretary Sheng for three years, but I never got this treatment…”

He drifted away.

Then he glared at Duan Yi like a bitter woman, biting his handkerchief. “Do you know how precious Secretary Sheng’s handwritten exam outline is? Yes, I’m just jealous.”

Duan Yi looked at the materials in his hand, Sheng Yunze’s compiled review notes.

Before the mid-term exam, Duan Yi had been “forced” every night by Sheng Yunze”—forced to sit at his desk. Duan Yi being the “warlord” and the exam scope being the “bow”, a warlord being forced to ride a bow. Sheng Yunze had taught him his study methods, but they clearly didn’t work. So he resorted to simple, brute-force “cramming” to make Duan Yi memorize everything.

In a daze, Duan Yi clung to the Buddha’s feet for a few days, holding Sheng Yunze’s prepared exam materials and memorizing them by rote, somehow managing to memorize everything.

Jiang Wangshu took out a napkin and pretended to wipe his face, sniffling. “A married daughter is like spilled water. What will Mom do now…”

Duan Yi: …

“I’m just going to study, okay!”

The Abbot sighed. “But Secretary Sheng really is very good to you.”

He glanced at Sheng Yunze’s handwritten notes. The writing was neat, the logic clear. It was clearly something good.

Sheng Yunze had his own way of understanding things. Classmates tried asking him questions before, but his aloof aura kept them at bay.

Duan Yi turned back to look. Sheng Yunze still wasn’t there.

“Stop looking,” Jiang Wangshu said. “The school beauty always goes straight to the exam classroom. And don’t even think about doing anything—he’s definitely taking the test in the experimental class. You just go to the cafeteria, fill out your test paper properly, then save me a seat. After the exam, we’ll eat first and skip evening self-study to play games tonight.”

“Are you not taking the exam tomorrow?” Duan Yi asked.

“Then we’ll play games tomorrow night,” Jiang Wangshu replied.

When the bell rang, Jiang Wangshu gathered his exam materials and walked slowly toward the experimental class.

Duan Yi took two pens and went to the cafeteria. Many candidates already stood at the entrance. When they saw Duan Yi come, they couldn’t help but look.

Especially some girls. Their eyes kept falling on Duan Yi, hiding and stealing glances.

The Second High School uniform looked ordinary on others, but looked handsome on him. Duan Yi thought proudly, I’m just too handsome, that’s why I have so many beautiful troubles.

Principal He carried a stack of test papers into the cafeteria through the side door. Outside, people pressed against the glass doors, trying to see the paper’s contents.

Duan Yi heard their whispers about cheating, copying answers, and asking each other’s scores.

He recognized some classmates from the cafeteria exam—messy-haired troublemakers from parallel classes he’d met at an internet café with Jiang Wangshu. Their relationship was strained—they’d always been the ones trying to get closer, but their interactions had always been awkward.

They pretended to respect him, but not really. They acted friendly with him, too.

First, they feared Duan Yi. Second, they wanted his family’s money—he was generous, and being his friend meant freebies.

“Duan-ge.” Ah Bu and his two friends—Scar and Mole—approached with grins.

Mole had a fingernail-sized birthmark on his face, giving him a slightly sleazy look. His pale skin contrasted with his words, “Haven’t seen you much lately. Is Class 1’s studying that intense?”

Their tone was sly from the start. Duan Yi glanced at them, refusing to respond.

Truth was, they rarely met anyway. Duan Yi might be mischievous, but he was still a student at heart. Ah Bu and his friends were too street-smart—all style and no substance. Duan Yi found them beneath him.

Scar: “Duan-ge, how’s Class 1 doing? Scores okay? Wanna let us copy your test?”

Duan Yi: “No.”

The three exchanged awkward glances. Though they knew Duan Yi’s temper was dog-like, his aloof, unapproachable attitude still rankled them.

“Come on, Duan-ge,” Ah Bu said with mock hurt. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten us since joining Class 1? Don’t you consider us brothers anymore?”

Duan Yi leaned against the railing, silent.

He had no time for Ah Bu, his mind racing through the exam materials Sheng Yunze had prepared for him.

Ah Bu’s taunts were calculated—he knew better than to truly provoke Duan Yi, lest the situation spiral out of control. The trio stood clustered around Duan Yi, chattering incessantly even as he ignored them.

The cafeteria’s exam entrance swung open. Students filed in, finding their assigned seats by student number.

When Sheng Yunze entered, he saw Duan Yi surrounded by several suspicious-looking Alphas. His face darkened immediately.

He didn’t like Duan Yi’s current behavior—or more precisely, he didn’t like Duan Yi associating with Scar and the others.

Ah Bu, Scar, and Mole—unlike Duan Yi, these three were true irredeemables, rotten to the core.

Outside school, he recognized the local gang boss as his big brother and got involved in many shady deeds. Some were minor, others major. The school had many private rumors about them. Sheng Yunze alone heard several versions, including illegal trafficking of Omega induction agents.

For several years, the law had no clear written language to determine if induction agents were prohibited products.

As medical research, small amounts of induction agents could help Omegas enter heat smoothly and increase pregnancy chances. But if misused, induction agents became a means for Alphas to satisfy their private desires: coupling with a heat-stricken Omega without inhibitors wasn’t illegal, but it was subtle—like judging the limits of self-defense. Objectively, it was difficult to determine if an Omega had truly entered heat or if it was artificially induced by induction agents.

Every year, there were many cases of induction agent abuse to lure underage Omegas. Only this year did the country introduce a policy requiring hospital prescriptions to purchase induction agents, slightly easing the market’s flood of induction agents.

It didn’t disappear, but moved from aboveground to underground.

Circulating on the law’s edge.

Last year, Scar used a sedative to force a sixteen-year-old Omega. After the incident, he claimed the Omega was in heat, so his help was legal and he didn’t need to be punished.

After checking, the court found Scar not guilty. Even though the Omega scratched Scar’s face with an art knife while resisting, he was found guilty of assault and expelled. Scar stayed home for a year before returning to First High School. By normal rules, he should be in the same grade as Duan Yi.

Sheng Yunze didn’t like Duan Yi much, and Scar was partly to blame, this guy kept saying Duan Yi was his buddy.

“Who’s your buddy?” Duan Yi rolled his eyes at Scar’s friendliness. After he couldn’t take it anymore, he said bluntly, “Stop following me.”

Scar awkwardly took back his hand and sat in his seat.

The cafeteria was noisy. When Principal He left, the teachers couldn’t control the big cafeteria. They walked around shouting several times, but it didn’t work.

The moment it really quieted down was when Sheng Yunze walked in.

He was tall and had long legs. If he normally appeared at the cafeteria entrance, it wouldn’t be strange—the school beauty also needs to eat.

But the exam time appearing at the cafeteria entrance? That’s fucking ridiculous!

Everyone knows that only the bottom hundred students take exams in the cafeteria. Sheng Yunze had been ranked first in his year since freshman year, a study god who dominated the competition honor roll like a photo match game. He couldn’t possibly be here.

“Holy shit? Am I seeing things?”

After a moment of silence, the cafeteria quietly bubbled like simmering water, dark currents surging.

“Is that Sheng Yunze at the cafeteria entrance?”

“What’s he doing here? Getting a test? Looking for someone? Not taking the exam, is he? Didn’t he fail last time? What fucking catastrophic decline would make him take the exam in the cafeteria?”

“No way…”

“Damn, I just saw my bright future waving at me.”

“I think I found the answers for the mid-term exam.”

The physics teacher, surnamed Qiu, had taught Sheng Yunze in his second year of high school. He was a somewhat dark and somewhat fat male teacher. Though his hair was thin, it stubbornly curled. His students all called him simply “Qiu.”

Qiu saw Sheng Yunze and hurried over, his surprise plain on his face. “What are you doing here?”

“Exam,” Sheng Yunze replied.

Qiu: “Did the Academic Affairs Office make a mistake? Let me see your admission ticket. Why would you be taking the exam in the cafeteria?”

Sheng Yunze handed over his admission ticket. It clearly stated the exam location as the cafeteria.

After examining it repeatedly, Qiu looked up. Sheng Yunze explained, “The Academic Affairs Office missed printing it. This is a replacement admission ticket.”

Qiu: “That can’t be right. How could you take the exam here? Could the Academic Affairs Office really have missed printing your ticket?”

Of course not.

Sheng Yunze had deleted the original himself.

He needed to monitor Duan Yi’s exam performance.

At that moment, Duan Yi finally looked up through the buzz of discussions. He watched sleepily as Sheng Yunze slowly approached.

Internally, he muttered “Holy shit” while wondering how he could hallucinate even while sleeping during the exam.

Only when Sheng Yunze sat down did Duan Yi’s “Holy shit” finally escape.

With two seats between them, Duan Yi suddenly straightened up. He stared incredulously at Sheng Yunze, then scanned the surroundings.

The surrounding classmates had already gone through the shock phase and now accepted the situation calmly.

Duan Yi, still in disbelief, suddenly felt the world had gone mad. Holy shit, why am I the only one so surprised?! Why are you all so calm?!

Principal He hurried over from the door and called Sheng Yunze out to talk.

Duan Yi hadn’t yet had a chance to signal to Sheng Yunze when he returned, accompanied by Principal He.

Principal He stood behind Duan Yi and Sheng Yunze, not moving. Duan Yi felt immense pressure.

“Damn…” he slumped over the desk.

Sheng Yunze looked at him, finding it amusing.

Duan Yi was dying. He’d thought sitting next to Sheng Yunze and copying his test would get him into the top ten of the grade. He never expected Old He to be so ruthless, leaving no room for survival.

The exam bell rang. Sheng Yunze’s gaze fell on the test paper, not sparing even a glance for Duan Yi.

Duan Yi scratched his head, wishing Principal He would suddenly develop urgent bladder problems, making him run to the bathroom ten times an hour.

After realizing he couldn’t copy Sheng Yunze’s test, he had no choice but to abandon this shortcut. He started looking at the questions with little energy.

The first question had been done before. Duan Yi was slightly surprised.

The next question also looked familiar. The third question seemed somewhat familiar too… As he continued looking, more than half of the multiple-choice questions had been mentioned in Sheng Yunze’s dormitory.

Holy shit?

Duan Yi was shocked. Was Sheng Yunze predicting the questions?

No way. I’ve only heard of predicting major questions. Can someone really predict multiple-choice questions?

This exam… isn’t as hard as I thought…

Duan Yi couldn’t believe he could answer correctly. He hesitated while writing the multiple-choice questions and couldn’t help glancing at Sheng Yunze.

Just then, Sheng Yunze was also looking at him. Duan Yi quickly mouthed, I don’t know.

Sheng Yunze gave him an encouraging look.

“What are you whispering about?” Principal He tapped Duan Yi’s desk.

Duan Yi quickly focused on the test. Unlike before, his mind was calmer now, as if he was back in the dorm solving problems with Sheng Yunze.

The 74-minute Chinese exam ended.

Duan Yi quickly cleared his desk, stuffed the pen into his pocket, and ran out.

There were too many people. In a moment, Sheng Yunze was gone.

“Left so quickly?” Duan Yi muttered.

At Second High School, the mid-term exam provided school lunch, but it wasn’t much.

After the morning Chinese exam, there were two and a half hours of break time to prepare for the afternoon exams.

Students could choose to eat at school or outside. The school gate was half-open. Duan Yi wanted to pull Sheng Yunze along.

After searching around, Duan Yi finally found Sheng Yunze behind the cafeteria.

He was cornered by several first-year juniors, led by a round-faced, cute-looking boy. Judging by his build and appearance, he was likely an Omega. His face was bright red as he mumbled to Sheng Yunze with his head lowered.

Behind the Omega stood excited girls watching him, seemingly cheering him on.

Duan Yi immediately understood the scene: this junior was confessing to Sheng Yunze, or perhaps asking him out.

He watched for a moment, then prepared to find a place to sit and send Sheng Yunze a message.

Nan Yi pulled him off the bench. “Why didn’t you reply to my text?”

“Shit! You walk without making a sound! You scared me!” Duan Yi jumped in surprise.

Nan Yi looked hurt. “Old He punished me to clean public areas for a week after the sports meet. You never came to check on me!”

“Of course not,” Duan Yi said. “Is that something to be proud of? If I came, I’d just help you clean. How selfless of me.”

Nan Yi pouted angrily. “You still shouldn’t ignore my messages.”

“Who made you say those obscene things at the sports meet?” Duan Yi asked. “Why would Old He punish anyone else?”

Nan Yi: “I didn’t say anything wrong.”

Before Duan Yi could react, he grabbed him, “Come eat with me at noon.”

Not good, Duan Yi thought.

He wanted to play with Sheng Yunze, but asking Nan Yi directly would make the little rascal sabotage him. Without hesitation, Duan Yi lied, “I’m eating with Jiang Wangshu.”

“Perfect! Tell him to come too,” Nan Yi said confidently.

Damn… I picked the wrong person.

The relationship between Nan Yi and Jiang Wangshu was obvious. They used to eat together as three. Nan Yi’s dictionary didn’t contain the word “back down.”

“I—” Nan Yi suddenly stopped, pulling Duan Yi away and looking behind, “Isn’t that Sheng Yunze?”

Duan Yi pretended ignorance, “Huh? Really? I don’t see him.”

Nan Yi narrowed his eyes. Duan Yi sighed, exasperated, “What are you doing…?”

He removed Nan Yi’s hands from his shoulders, “We’ve been apart for years. Even divorced couples find new loves. Why are you always meddling in my affairs?”

Nan Yi: “Divorced couples can reunite. Why can’t we?”

Duan Yi: “Nan Yi, I think we can still be friends, so I’ve been very tolerant of you. It’s not that I want to give you chances, but I’m afraid you’ll get hurt. But I’ve noticed you’re really bad at reading people’s expressions. Can you stop constantly pushing my limits?”

Nan Yi was silent for a moment. “Must you insist on liking Sheng Yunze?”

Duan Yi rubbed his nose. “Who said I like him?”

Nan Yi: “I guessed it myself.”

“Oh,” Duan Yi said. “Yes.”

Hearing the answer directly from Duan Yi’s mouth was a first for Nan Yi.

Nan Yi was dazed for a moment. A voice in his heart sai,: I don’t want you to like him. This would make me feel I really have no hope.

Even Jian Qiao, even Fang Yun, even anyone else was fine, but it couldn’t be Sheng Yunze.

“You’re an Alpha, and so is he,” Nan Yi said firmly.

“Yes, before you were also an Alpha, and so was I. Isn’t it the same?” Duan Yi said shamelessly. “Bro, I’ve always liked to do gay stuff with Alphas. You got a problem with that?”

Nan Yi remained silent.

Duan Yi felt he’d said too much and patted his shoulder. “I really did forget about you. Sorry.”

His short period of first love with Nan Yi couldn’t compare to the decade-plus of mutual support he’d shared with Sheng Yunze.

Duan Yi didn’t know how to comfort him, so he just patted Nan Yi’s head like a puppy.

He suddenly remembered something. “Do you have a beef with Scar?”

Nan Yi: “That idiot from Class 5?”

…Looks like they really do.

Duan Yi: “Don’t provoke him. Scar’s a mean guy. When pushed, he’ll do anything. Don’t stoop to his level.”

Nan Yi: “He harassed an Omega in our class. I beat him up.”

Duan Yi: “Anyway, just stay away from him.”

After warning Nan Yi, he turned to look at Sheng Yunze, but Sheng Yunze had vanished.

What the hell?

He was gone in the time it took to exchange a few words?

Duan Yi hurriedly called out, “I’ve got stuff to do. Don’t follow me, or we’ll lose our friendship.”

Then he rushed after Sheng Yunze through the cafeteria’s narrow path.