What's Wrong with This Alpha? - Chapter 47

Chapter 47 – School Beauty’s First Love

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Duan Yi: =口=!

“=口=!”

“=口=!”

“=口=!”

“=口=!”

“=口=!”

Duan Yi: “Fuck! Why are you copying my face!”

Five people: “=口=!”

Duan Yi: “I’m gonna kill you! This is definitely on purpose!”

Hao Shanshan: “Daddy, are you playing hand-squeezing games with my new mom?”

Hand-squeezing games.

A pointless and painful game invented by high school students, just as boring and masochistic as “Aruba”.

Two students hold hands like leaders of two countries, then squeeze each other’s hand to see who can endure longer.

The first to scream loses.

No purpose except to cause pain.

But in boring high school life, nothing’s more fun than bullying classmates.

Duan Yi: “Let go!”

Sheng Yunze: “I’m not letting go!”

Duan Yi: “Ahh!” (screams in pain)

Pingtou: “Yes!”

Mainly because Duan Yi had never seen Sheng Yunze play such a childish game. Duan Yi often joined in their stupid games—Aruba, hand-squeezing, wrestling together… squeezing from classroom to bathroom, laughing while groping each other’s crotches, screaming after groping, discussing ajs, discussing games, pretending classmates are sons, jumping to hit door frames when entering classrooms, spinning books—seeing who can spin more circles. Jiang Wangshu was the best at this.

In short, after nearly half a semester in the same class, no one dared to drag Sheng Yunze into these mysterious games that high school boys played.

As soon as Sheng Yunze grabbed Duan Yi, he surrendered, “No, no, I’m not doing this! It hurts!”

Pingtou: “Don’t be a coward, President Duan! Who’s the real coward here?”

Duan Yi: “Fuck! Why aren’t you clamping down with him?”

Pingtou humbly replied, “Only true warriors can face other true warriors.”

Sheng Yunze calmly watched Duan Yi, then tightened his grip. Duan Yi immediately cried out in pain.

“You’re actually doing it!” Duan Yi was shocked. “How can my boyfriend be like this? One moment he’s affectionate with me, the next we’re sparring like martial artists on Mount Hua!”

He quickly retaliated, gritting his teeth and clamping down hard. Sheng Yunze remained expressionless, making Duan Yi instantly wilt,, “No, no, no! I’m in so much pain!”

Sheng Yunze suddenly spoke, “Clamp tighter.”

He shot Duan Yi a teasing glance.

Duan Yi was bewildered. His hands barely exerted any force, his brain overheating and shutting down: Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!!!

Sheng Yunze smiled mysteriously, released his grip, and looked down with contempt, exuding an air of invincible superiority.

Hao Shanshan gave a thumbs-up, “Just like a new mother.”

She didn’t know what was happening. Why did something so normal suddenly feel embarrassing…

Pingtou suddenly felt awkward looking and turned his head to stare out the window, exclaiming in surprise, “It’s snowing again!”

At their age, attention was easily diverted. Classmates rushed to the window. Duan Yi withdrew his hand and whined pitifully, “You’re toxic! Did you do that on purpose?”

Sheng Yunze: “Forces act in pairs. When you hurt, I hurt too.”

Duan Yi: “Then why did you pinch me?”

Sheng Yunze: “If others can play with you, why can’t I?”

Duan Yi: …

Fuck.

How could that be the same?!

Could others say something so obscene like “Clamp tighter”?

Was that something normal people would do?

Duan Yi pretended to be casual as he asked, “Hey, are you guys free tonight?”

The class representative was already collecting homework for each subject, ready to hand it in to the teachers.

Duan Yi’s words caught the class’s attention. Hao Shanshan chimed in, “I’m free tonight, dear Daddy. What’s up?”

“There’s a new barbecue place behind our school. Anyone want to go? My treat.”

“Holy shit! Really?” Abbot was the first to respond. “I’m definitely in!”

Fatty handed in his homework. “Me too! How could I miss President Duan’s treat?”

Sheng Yunze took off his headphones and glanced at Duan Yi.

Duan Yi looked away, feeling guilty. “Anyone else want to come?”

Jiang Wangshu said, “Count me in.”

“Me too.”

“I’m going.”

“I’ve been cooped up studying for over a month. I’m coming tonight too…”

It was exactly one month before the final exams. Second High School took the third-year exams very seriously, even restructuring Class One’s schedule.

All classes were now taught in double blocks: two periods of math, two of physics, two of chemistry.

The students of Class One, who had just been through a grueling midterm exam that had left them feeling drained, were now facing the final exam—a test that threatened to strip them down to their bare bones.

It was clear that the class was under immense pressure. Many students struggled to focus, their minds restless and unable to settle.

A few days earlier, Xiaobudian—a quiet girl from Class One who was barely noticeable—nearly fainted at the classroom door. It turned out she had low blood sugar and was overwhelmed by stress, her body unable to cope.

Sister Ma cheerfully declared, “President Duan, count me in! I’m going too!”

The girls who had been hesitant at first softened under Sister Ma’s enthusiastic encouragement.

Their initial impressions of Duan Yi had been wrong. When they first learned they would be in the same class as him at the start of their third year, most of the girls and Omegas had been reluctant.

Duan Yi’s reputation as the School Bully was widespread, and rumors of his misdeeds had been exaggerated into legendary tales.

But after spending a semester with him, they realized he wasn’t the monster the stories painted.

It was like discovering that Sheng Yunze wasn’t as aloof as his reputation suggested.

In fact…

Duan Yi was actually a good person.

Duan Yi was cheerful, generous, enthusiastic, and easy to get along with.

He could talk to anyone.

So, one by one, people started saying yes to his idea.

Soon, the whole class was going to eat barbecue.

Luckily, Class One was a Competition Class, with only about twenty students.

Duan Yi couldn’t exactly lead the whole class over the wall. When they got to the back gate of the school, he pulled out a key like a magician and—opened the gate.

Everyone’s jaw dropped.

Duan Yi grinned. “What’s this called, kids? Watch and learn! This is called ‘President Duan’s money makes the security guard grind the mill.’ That’s how capitalism defeated Second High School’s rules.”

Everyone laughed, and the air filled with a relaxed mood.

They had been cooped up for too long, too stressed. Even Class One, the model class, was ready for a wild midnight barbecue trip.

Of course, the main reason was Duan Yi leading the way.

Sneaking out with just a few friends wasn’t that exciting. But doing something a little bad with everyone? That was thrilling.

Duan Yi walked in front, with Sheng Yunze right beside him.

No one ever thought Secretary Sheng, the model student who always followed the rules, would join their midnight escapade. It just showed how persuasive Duan Yi could be.

At the barbecue restaurant, they piled up plates of grilled food and cracked open beers and sodas.

Hot smoke swirled into the night air as large, silent snowflakes drifted down like willow catkins.

Jiang Wangshu gave Duan Yi a thumbs-up. “You’re something else, Duan-bao. If Old He finds out you dragged the whole class out for midnight barbecue, you’ll be standing under the flag pole for three days and nights, reciting Divine Sword and Hero.”

After a few rounds of drinks, the barbecue was mostly gone.

Their table was the last to finish and had the most people. Duan Yi paid the bill, and everyone ate without holding back.

Especially Hao Shanshan, who ate enough for three people.

Sister Ma, drunk, was pouring her heart out to Fang Yun. Her parents wanted her to go to a certain school they’d already planned out, but she wanted to study sports.

Once the conversation started, it wouldn’t stop. They talked about school, exams, and the future. They talked about stress, sadness, and pain.

They talked about all the worries every third-year student had.

Hopes for the future, fear of the National College Entrance Examination, confusion about life.

About youth, about dreams.

The conversation turned to the topic of young people entering the Martial World before they were ready.

Pingtou hugged himself and wailed, “That day, Fatty told me he saw my girlfriend walking around the playground with some pretty boy from Class Two! I was so mad, I grabbed a mop handle and stormed out there. Guess what? When I got to the playground, I realized I don’t even have a girlfriend!”

“Is Fatty even human?! Huh?!”

The whole table burst into laughter.

Fatty stood up, apologized, and then laughed heartily as he punished himself with a drink.

The conversation shifted from the heavy topic of studying to romantic troubles. Fatty claimed he had a goddess at Seventh High School, Abbot quoted Buddhist wisdom about emptiness and form, and Pingtou reminisced about his first love…

Eventually, the conversation turned to Duan Yi.

Pingtou grinned and said to Duan Yi, “President Duan, you’re really great! I used to misunderstand you. I think you’re the best Class President I’ve ever seen…”

Duan Yi got goosebumps. “I’m not even drunk yet. Stop with the cheesy talk.”

Sister Ma chimed in, “Pingtou’s right. I had some prejudice against you before third year. It was my fault. I’ll drink to apologize!”

Duan Yi was getting embarrassed. “What’s going on? Are you guys trying to be awkward?!”

They were really going all out with the awkwardness.

More and more people were toasting Duan Yi.

“President Duan, I hope you find someone soon! Cheers!”

“President Duan, I hope you get a perfect score on the final exam! Cheers!”

“President Duan, you’re really great…” (Duan Yi worried the Bookworm might start dancing when he said this, but thankfully he didn’t.)

“President Duan…”

Duan Yi looked at Sheng Yunze, who was already a little tipsy, and grumbled, “You’re not going to toast me too, are you?”

Sheng Yunze gave a haughty snort. “Don’t get your hopes up.”

Hao Shanshan, in her usual wild mood, started a chant, “No way! Secretary Sheng, we’ve all toasted him! You have to too!”

“Secretary Sheng! Secretary Sheng!”

Jiang Wangshu, never one to let a good time pass him by, stoked the excitement, “We’ve got the leaders of Class One here—the Class President and the League Branch Secretary, right? Their toasts have to be special! None of this regular stuff! Let’s do a linked-arm toast!”

Hao Shanshan let out a shriek. Duan Yi snapped, “Shanshan, can you act like a woman for once? Stop acting like a mountain gorilla every day, going ‘Ooh ooh ooh ooh!'”

Hao Shanshan was unfazed. “Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh! Linked-arm toast! Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!!”

“Linked-arm toast! Linked-arm toast!”

The synchronized cheers left Duan Yi flustered. He looked at Sheng Yunze and rubbed his nose. “Um… you want to do this?”

Sheng Yunze replied, “What’s there to be afraid of?”

The moment he spoke, the classmates erupted like Beijing had just won the Olympic bid. The barbecue restaurant turned into a chaotic frenzy.

Pingtou and the others pulled out their phones, eager to capture this sacred moment, jostling for the best angle.

Jiang Wangshu jumped in as the MC. “Just so we’re clear, two full cups!”

Duan Yi took the wine, and Sheng Yunze switched arms with him.

Duan Yi snapped. “Goddamn it, this is so cheesy! Who the hell came up with this? Step forward and get punched!”

Jiang Wangshu and the others pretended not to hear, ignoring his outburst. The scent of wine mixed with Sheng Yunze’s breath invaded Duan Yi’s mind, making his heart race.

It felt… like he was actually getting married to Sheng Yunze.

The mischievous Third Year Class 1 students, always eager for drama, stared wide-eyed, their eyes like copper bells. No one knew why they were so determined to pair up the Class President and the League Branch Secretary.

Of course, Duan Yi suspected they were just waiting for Sheng Yunze to fall from his pedestal and become an ordinary high school boy like them.

Duan Yi was standing too close to Sheng Yunze. So close, he couldn’t even see any flaws on Sheng Yunze’s face.

Feeling his legs getting weak, Duan Yi decided to just finish his drink.

The moment his glass was empty, the cheers exploded, nearly tearing down the barbecue tent.

They were eating outside the barbecue restaurant, under a big tent, drinking and watching the snow. The air was thick with youthful energy.

No worries about jobs, no pressure to support families, no scars from fighting for survival in the real world.

They were just a group of teenagers, in the best years of their lives, with the best classmates, making memories they’d never forget.

Duan Yi’s face burned red. As soon as he finished his drink, he sat down, covered his face, and refused to look up.

Even President Duan, who was usually so confident, was acting like this! Pingtou and the others instantly got excited.

“Teasing Duan Yi? Holy shit, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance!”

They started yelling nonsense, trying to make Duan Yi get up and drink with Sheng Yunze again.

Finally, Sheng Yunze spoke.

The moment he opened his mouth, the noisy crowd went silent, like a screaming chicken suddenly choked.

“President Duan is shy. Once is enough.”

Holy shit… Hao Shanshan thought to herself. What kind of boyfriend says that? Am I imagining things?

She stood there, bewildered, along with everyone else.

Sheng Yunze didn’t seem to realize anything was wrong with what he’d said. Duan Yi looked up, fanned himself, and rubbed his face to hide his blush.

The night breeze woke him up a bit.

Duan Yi and Jiang Wangshu exchanged a glance, remembering what they needed to do.

After a few rounds of drinks, Duan Yi cleared his throat. “Um, everyone, stop for a moment and listen to me.”

The crowd gradually quieted down, all eyes on Duan Yi.

Duan Yi felt nervous and paused. Seeing the mixed emotions in their eyes, he forgot his words.

“Wait, let me check my notes.”

He fumbled for a cheat sheet in his pocket.

The crowd, who had just quieted down, burst into laughter again. Duan Yi had to shout several times to get their attention. This time, he spoke seriously, “To face the final exams, keep your heart kind and pure, keep your feelings warm and strong… What the hell is this?” Duan Yi glared at Jiang Wangshu. “What kind of crap did you write?”

Jiang Wangshu, ever the gentleman, said with a straight face, “I just Googled it. Don’t you think it’s especially touching and comforting? I figured your IQ couldn’t handle anything too complicated, so I copied out a simple one…”

Duan Yi: “Fuck!”

He laughed helplessly. “Forget the formalities. I just wanted to say, I brought you all out here to relax.”

Everyone turned to look at him.

Duan Yi continued, “Anyway, this Class President title is just for show. I don’t do anything all day. Besides being handsome and rich, I’m useless. But being rich means I can do whatever I want, so I decided to treat everyone to a good time…”

Pingtou couldn’t help but laugh.

Duan Yi: “Don’t laugh! I’m serious. I almost cried myself. If you don’t cry later, I’ll beat you all up.”

He paused, then suddenly called out, “Xiaobudian.”

Xiaobudian, who had been quietly eating, looked up in surprise.

She was practically invisible in class, a complete wallflower.

Even at class gatherings, where everyone shared taxis home, she was easily forgotten.

Twelve years of school had passed without her making a single friend or remembering a classmate’s name. Her life revolved solely around studying, reading, and the monotonous routine of school and home, with no hobbies or interests to speak of.

So when Duan Yi, the school’s most popular guy, suddenly called her out, she was completely stunned.

Jiang Wangshu chuckled, slinging an arm around Hao Shanshan’s shoulders. “Hey, Duan Yi’s girl! Bring out the cake we all chipped in for!”

Xiaobudian’s mind went blank.

Now, not just Xiaobudian, but most of the class was confused by Duan Yi’s antics. Even Sheng Yunze looked surprised.

Duan Yi rummaged through his pockets. “Where’s my lighter? Anyone got one?”

Pingtou was the first to react. “I do!”

A twelve-inch cake was placed on the table.

As everyone slowly regained their composure, they exchanged bewildered glances.

Duan Yi lit the candles and calmly said, “It’s your birthday today, right? I saw your ID last time. You’re the only one in our class who has a birthday in the first half of the semester.”

Xiaobudian’s mind was blank. She only saw Duan Yi’s mouth moving, hearing nothing else.

Jiang Wangshu, with his high emotional intelligence, spoke up while everyone else was silent. “We all chipped in to buy this.”

He turned to Xiaobudian. “You’re the youngest and quietest in our class. We saw you faint at the classroom door a while ago, so we decided to show some classmate love. We mainly want to tell you not to push yourself too hard. Studying is important, but your health is just as important. If you don’t understand something, don’t keep it to yourself. You can ask me—the Chairman is always here to help. Or Secretary Sheng, Fang Yun, or anyone else. We’re all in the same class; there’s no need to be shy. But if you never speak up, we won’t know how to help you.”

Xiaobudian’s face flushed red as her shock faded. Her body trembled slightly, and her voice was barely audible. “Thank you…”

Without warning, tears streamed down her face.

Duan Yi was startled. “Hey, don’t cry! It’s your birthday. Try to be happy.”

He never knew how to deal with criers.

Xiaobudian couldn’t stop her tears. She kept saying thank you, wiping her face with her arm, and sobbing.

Sister Ma didn’t know how to comfort her. She gently pulled Xiaobudian closer and patted her back.

Fang Yun was the first to react, following Jiang Wangshu’s lead. “Happy birthday! I left your gift in the dorm. I’ll bring it tomorrow—five years of practice exams and three years of past papers. It’ll make you feel like you’re in heaven!”

Pingtou chimed in, “Oh, right! Happy birthday!”

Xiaobang added, “Why aren’t you using your birthday perk? Third Year Class 1 has a special rule: the birthday person gets one free pass for being late!”

“Happy birthday!” said Abbot.

“Happy birthday, little girl,” said Jiang Wangshu.

“Happy birthday!” said Duan Yi.

“Happy birthday,” said Sheng Yunze.

Then, more voices joined in, one after another.

Happy birthday wishes, spoken in voices high and low, filled the small space.

Jiang Wangshu called out, “Alright, everyone, listen up!”

He announced, “This cake isn’t for eating. Only those who haven’t been drinking can have some. If you’ve had alcohol, stay away—we don’t want anyone getting sick and ending up in the hospital tomorrow. We need to prevent any more rumors about President Duan poisoning their own classmates, like what happened at Second High School. So, follow these rules carefully!”

Duan Yi positioned Xiaobudian in the center. “Make a wish,” he said.

Xiaobudian wiped away her tears, choked back a sob, and finally spoke. “I don’t really have any wishes…”

It was the first time she had spoken so much in front of so many people. “When I first found out I’d be in President Duan’s class, I was really scared.”

The surroundings fell silent.

“In tenth grade, I heard that President Duan’s class was full of rich kids, and even the teachers were afraid of them… I heard he crashed his car during a summer race… I thought it would be the worst class ever…”

Duan Yi thought to himself: I can’t even ride a bike! How could I possibly drive a car?!

But as a man, not knowing how to ride a bike is just as embarrassing as not knowing how to drive, so he kept quiet.

Xiaobudian clasped her hands together, her voice trembling. “I take it back! I think I’ve met the best people, the best classmates. Third Year Class 1 is the best class I’ve ever been in!”

Hao Shanshan struck a Xi Shi Heart-Clutching pose, her eyes brimming with tears. “So touching! I want to cry. Mom, can I lean on your shoulder?”

“Damn, I feel like crying too. I thought joining the Competition Class would mean being stuck with a bunch of stuck-up bookworms who looked down on each other. I figured I’d just study on my own and not bother with anyone else. But I take that back too! Our class is amazing! And our Class President is the best! He truly deserves to be called ‘the people’s official’!”

“…Actually, I thought third year would just be a waste of time. My second-year class was so cold—everyone just kept to themselves… I never thought I’d finally feel a little bit of what youth is supposed to be like, right before graduation.”

“Seriously, me too! I heard Second High School say President Duan and Secretary Sheng were sworn enemies. I thought they’d be fighting in our class every day. I never imagined they’d be standing here today, sharing a toast. The world is so crazy—if someone told me Secretary Sheng and President Duan were getting married someday, I wouldn’t even be surprised.”

“It’s just… nothing like I expected.”

Then someone said very seriously, “President Duan, honestly, this class is lucky to have you.”

Duan Yi cursed under his breath, embarrassed. “Stop it, guys! You’re making me blush. Just so you know, flattering me won’t get you any money!”

Xiaobudian stopped crying and smiled. She closed her eyes to make a wish, but she said it out loud:

“I wish—”

That night, the sky was starless, and Second High School was covered in heavy snow.

“I wish every one of my friends in Third Year Class 1 gets into the university they want.”

The surroundings fell silent again.

Xiaobudian opened her eyes. “I wish…”

“No matter where life takes us, let’s always remember each other. I hope we stay young forever, always remember the tests we took, the feelings we had, the hard work we did, and Second High School.”

“Let’s always remember President Duan, Secretary Sheng, the Chairman…”

“Fang Yun, Shanshan, Pingtou, Fatty…”

“Abbot, Bookworm, Sister Ma…”

She said everyone’s name and nickname in the class.

Then she blew out the candle, and tears fell from her eyes.

“…Let’s never forget Third Year Class 1.”

That night, everyone felt so much. Everyone had tears in their eyes.

They sang loudly at the barbecue, already missing this time even though they hadn’t graduated yet.

This was the most important, most precious memory of their lives—the most unforgettable third year, the most unforgettable year.

This was youth.

“So, is this why the whole class was late today?!”

Duan Yi, his eyes ringed with dark circles, pleaded, “Teacher, listen! I actually have intermittent vascular-neurological headaches caused by varicose veins, leading to vena cava occlusion, open trisomy 21 syndrome, and severe eighth-grade syndrome. I really couldn’t get out of bed…”

Jiang Wangshu chimed in, “Teacher, I have myoclonic epilepsy combined with damaged red muscle fibers, small intestine malabsorption, and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria…”

Hao Shanshan added, “Teacher, I have undiagnosed, maniacal, intermittent systemic dysfunction…”

Yu Wenshu’s anger flared, turning to Sheng Yunze. “What about you, Sheng Yunze? Are you sick too?”

Sheng Yunze paused, then slowly uttered two words, “Mental illness.”

Yu Wenshu: ……

“Are you messing with me?!” Yu Wenshu glared, hands on his hips, textbook in hand. “Did the whole class team up to mess with me?!”

Duan Yi, the Class President, ever adaptable, immediately adopted his most obsequious tone. “No, no, no, Teacher! I wouldn’t dare! I was wrong. When I woke up this morning, I thought, ‘I’ll just sleep a little longer. Since I’m the only one late, the teacher won’t even notice.'”

He added, “But we thought our class was really close, and everyone felt the same way! Look, this one-in-ten-thousand coincidence couldn’t have been planned, right?”

Yu Wenshu snapped, “Sit down? Sit down my ass! What time is it to be dozing off? You’re in the Competition Class! Did you come here just to participate? If you don’t want to be in the Competition Class, keep sleeping! There are tons of students in Class Two who would kill to be here! You think the school’s flexible class system is a joke? No sense of urgency at all! Still sitting? Get up, all of you!”

Duan Yi quickly chimed in, “Everyone, stand up!”

The entire class stood up in a neat row.

Yu Wenshu’s anger faded, and he spoke earnestly, “I’m not mad at you for no reason. It’s this late in the year, Duan Yi, as Class President, you took everyone out for barbecue? Couldn’t you have used that time to work on practice tests? Have you memorized all the classical Chinese texts? Do you understand every sentence structure? Can you spot all the commonly misused idioms?”

“Let me tell you, this is the hardest year you’ll ever have. Once you’re in college, you can do whatever you want. You’ll beg your professors to care, and they won’t even bother!”

Duan Yixin thought, Our headmaster said the same thing when I was in middle school.

Yu Wenshu snapped, “Get out your second test papers.” He paused. “Sit down! Why are you standing around? Do you think you can understand while standing? Pens, people! Can you take notes standing up?”

No one dared provoke Yu Wenshu’s anger. They quickly sat down and grabbed their pens.

Yu Wenshu said, “Sheng Yunze, give me your paper. You and Duan Yi can share one.” He took Sheng Yunze’s paper. “Class monitor, go erase the board.” He shook the paper. “Where did we leave off last time? The three elements of a novel. What are they? Characters, plot, and setting! How many times have I said this? How could anyone miss such an easy question? Anyone who got this wrong, stand at the back!”

Then, Duan Yi was the only one standing at the back of the classroom for the entire two periods.

“Damn… my legs are gonna break…”

After Yu Wenshu left, he called the class representative to follow him.

Duan Yi hobbled back to his seat, his legs stiff. He groaned loudly as he sat down, trying to get Sheng Yunze’s attention.

His trick might be cheesy, but it worked.

Sheng Yunze frowned. “Serves you right.”

Duan Yi whined, “How is that my fault? I didn’t know the answer…”

Sheng Yunze retorted, “Oh, so you filled in ‘Qidian Chinese Network,’ ‘Jinjiang Literature City,’ and ‘Xiaoxiang Academy’ for the three essential elements of a novel?”

Duan Yi: ……

Sheng Yunze chuckled. “Idiot.”

Duan Yi knew he’d messed up badly, but his brain had just blanked out—he really couldn’t remember! He couldn’t leave the question blank; he had to write something.

Duan Yi propped his leg on Sheng Yunze’s lap, completely ignoring the resentful glare from Jiang Wangshu, the lone wolf.

“Rub my leg.”

Sheng Yunze massaged it. Duan Yi admired his boyfriend’s face, enjoying the visual treat. He felt like a wealthy landlord exploiting a beautiful servant girl.

“Big news!” Hao Shanshan burst through the door. “I just came from the Academic Affairs Office. Guess what I saw!”

Hao Shanshan was the Chinese class representative, and Yu Wenshu’s office was in the Academic Affairs Office.

“Don’t keep us in suspense,” Fang Yun said. “Teasing will get you struck by lightning.”

“Second High School’s new uniforms have arrived!”

“What the hell?!” Duan Yi took his leg off Sheng Yunze’s lap and leaned against him. “The one with the big ‘2’ on the back?”

Second High School had too much money this year. They renovated the school building and ordered new uniforms.

Their original uniforms included two summer sets: a long-sleeved white shirt, a short-sleeved white shirt, a pleated skirt, dress pants, and a blazer. They also had two autumn sets of black and white tracksuits for changing.

Two navy blue British-style sweaters came in long and short versions.

A winter set included a windbreaker and black sweatpants with two white stripes.

This year, they added another autumn uniform based on the old design.

The only difference was a large, flaming “2” printed on the back.

“Holy shit, this is so stupid! Anyone who wears this is an idiot!” Pingtou said, his face pale with shock.

Hao Shanshan shook her head. “No, no, no! Old He said he loves this uniform. He thinks it clearly shows the spirit of Second High School students. We have to wear it at next week’s flag-raising ceremony.”

“Damn… Old He has terrible taste! Does he really think this uniform isn’t embarrassing? Seventh High School will laugh us to death!”

Jiang Wangshu spoke up, “Actually, Second High School was already being mocked on the Hangcheng University Forum when the design drafts were released. Go check the thread—over eighty pages of schadenfreude.”

“Damn it… This is inhuman…” Duan Yi muttered darkly. “I’m definitely not wearing that.”

Jiang Wangshu: “Huh? Didn’t you know, Duan-bao?”

Duan Yi: “What?”

Jiang Wangshu replied with an enigmatic smile, “Weren’t you supposed to film that short video for the Admissions Office with Secretary Sheng? Didn’t Old He mention you’d be wearing these new uniforms?”

“Holy… shit…” Duan Yi stood frozen in place.

“Hey, President Duan, your and Secretary Sheng’s ‘crossed arms’ toast made it onto the Hangcheng High School Space Wall,” Pingtou said, shoving his phone in front of Duan Yi.

Hangcheng High School Space Wall.

It was an ancient wall that had existed since Duan Yi’s high school entrance exams, stubbornly surviving for three years.

The Space Wall had daily posts, usually missing person notices, confessions, or gossip and news from various high schools.

Sheng Yunze had been secretly photographed when he first started at Second High School, and the picture was posted on the Space Wall. That’s when he earned the title of “School Grass” at Second High.

Duan Yi snatched the phone to look. It was true.

The post had over 800 shares, and the comments were all: “66666666.”

“祝9999.”

“Holy shit, isn’t that Sheng Yunze, the School Grass from Second High?”

“Is that Duan Yi next to him?”

“Holy shit holy shit? The two comments above are blowing my mind?!”

“Are they dating?”

“Duan Yi’s an Alpha.”

“Double Alpha love 6666666.”

“Who are these two handsome brothers?”

“I’d take both of them!!”

The photo was pretty good. Sheng Yunze took the phone from Duan Yi.

He saved it and sent it to himself through Pingtou’s Koukou account.

Duan Yi suddenly realized he didn’t have Sheng Yunze’s Koukou.

He only had Sheng Yunze’s WeChat.

Duan Yi felt a pang of jealousy: How does even Pingtou have my boyfriend’s Koukou?

“Give me your phone,” Duan Yi said, nudging Sheng Yunze.

Sheng Yunze handed it over. The phone’s lock screen showed a photo of Duan Yi sprawled out asleep, clearly taken without his knowledge. The background was Sheng Yunze’s room, and Duan Yi was wearing Sheng Yunze’s pajamas. The top was rolled up, revealing a soft, white belly and a slender waist.

Duan Yi: =口=!

“How did you sneak a picture of me looking so bad?”

Sheng Yunze: “It’s not that bad.”

He thought: It’s actually pretty cute.

Duan Yi: “I have way cooler photos. I’ll send you one later. You should change it.”

He smoothly took possession of Sheng Yunze’s phone, added his own fingerprint, and opened Sheng Yunze’s Koukou account. There were tons of messages—all friend requests.

Duan Yi scrolled through them and saw a lot of girls.

“Let’s be friends! I go to First High School.”

“Hey, cutie, wanna chat?”

“School Grass, do you have a girlfriend?”

“Hey, senior, I want to get to know you.”

“Holy shit…” Duan Yi was stunned.

He knew Sheng Yunze was popular, but he never imagined this popular.

There were over forty friend requests, all from the past two days.

A cold sweat broke out on Duan Yi’s back. Thank god I didn’t impulsively add him when I first got his Koukou. Otherwise, I’d be in the same boat as these girls.

Sheng Yunze’s profile signature had changed to a pink pig emoji.

Duan Yi knew Sheng Yunze was subtly mocking him, but he let it slide. He opened Sheng Yunze’s Space Wall and found that while Sheng Yunze hadn’t posted much in high school, his middle school days had been filled with inner turmoil.

Scrolling down, he discovered that Sheng Yunze, like many middle schoolers, had been obsessed with astrology, taking compatibility tests every day.

Duan Yi suppressed a laugh. He couldn’t believe that Sheng Yunze, with his current prickly attitude, had once been so sentimental—actually doing constellation compatibility tests?

I’m dying laughing! Even Jiang Wangshu never believed in that crap!

Only middle school girls would fall for that!

When Duan Yi scrolled back to Sheng Yunze’s third year of junior high, he noticed Sheng Yunze had repeatedly taken the Space Constellation Compatibility Test, testing the same two signs on different websites.

It was as if he couldn’t believe the compatibility score between these two signs was “0,” but every website gave the same result.

One was Sagittarius, the other Virgo.

Sheng Yunze was Virgo, born in September, which made sense.

But who was the Sagittarius? Duan Yi himself was a Sagittarius, but he hadn’t even known Sheng Yunze back then. Sheng Yunze couldn’t have been testing their compatibility, right?

Duan Yi suddenly felt a pang of jealousy.

Who had I tested compatibility with back in junior high?

He suddenly lost interest in scrolling further.

Duan Yi’s mood plummeted.

He stopped at a post Sheng Yunze had shared—likely a Space Wall post from his third year of junior high.

The timestamp placed it around the time of the high school entrance exams.

[ Dear Virgos—

Today’s keyword is: love at first sight.

You might just meet your future soulmate today!

This week’s luck isn’t great, and your crush might still be in another relationship.

Your lucky number for the next three months is “2”.

Your best match is Sagittarius.

Optimistic Sagittarians always have people around them.

They’re the kind of person who brings joy to others.

Their carefree laughter in the sun is so bright it’s hard to look at.

They’re like a little sun, warming everyone around them and making you happy too.

Virgos, don’t let this chance slip away! ]

“What the hell is this?”

Duan Yi turned off his phone and threw it to Sheng Yunze.

“Did you have a crush on someone in middle school?” he asked bluntly.

Sheng Yunze was writing a math problem. His pen stopped. “Huh?”

Duan Yi sounded jealous. “I saw you sharing those ‘Space Constellation Compatibility Tests’ all the time in ninth grade. Did you have a crush back then? Who was she? What high school does she go to now? You’re not still hung up on her, are you?”

Sheng Yunze suddenly gave him a hurt look, his voice tight with anger. “Anyone can ask me that question, but you have no right.”