What's Wrong with This Alpha? - Chapter 61

Chapter 61 – Husband, Husband, Husband, Husband

“My legs hurt so much…”

Duan Yisheng slumped hopelessly onto his desk.

Hao Shanshan nudged him with her pen. “President Duan, Bei-ge’s class is tonight. Have you finished your physics test?”

“Not even close!” Duan Yi wailed. “My legs hurt too much!”

He howled dramatically, trying to get his boyfriend’s attention.

It worked. Sheng Yunze, sitting beside him, paused mid-stroke with his black pen.

Hao Shanshan innocently asked, “Why do your legs hurt?”

Duan Yi fell silent.

After a moment, he burst out again, “They just hurt! I can’t walk, I can’t do my homework, and if Lao Bei sees my unfinished test tonight, he’ll make me stand at the back of the classroom again. I can’t stand! It hurts too much!”

“President Duan,” Hao Shanshan said sympathetically, “you do your homework with your hands, not your legs. Though, given the quality of your work, you could argue you use your feet.” She added, “Want me to copy it for you?”

As Duan Yi’s self-proclaimed “adopted daughter,” her filial devotion was legendary. Helping him with his homework was nothing new.

Hao Shanshan had practically perfected the art of mimicking Duan Yi’s handwriting.

English homework was the task Hao Shanshan most often completed for Duan Yi.

Just as she reached for Duan Yi’s test paper, Sheng Yunze snatched it first.

“Huh?” Hao Shanshan watched helplessly as the physics paper floated before her eyes and landed on Sheng Yunze’s desk.

Duan Yi opened one eye. Sheng Yunze glanced at him. “I’ll do it for you.”

Pingtou, who had been observing from the sidelines, nearly dropped his jaw.

“It’s over.”

Ten minutes had passed since the incident.

Pingtou was still lost in thought, replaying the scene between Sheng Yunze and Duan Yi in his mind. He repeated the same phrase to everyone entering the classroom for Evening Self-Study.

“President Duan has cast his spell on Secretary Sheng.”

As soon as Fang Yun sat down, Pingtou tugged at her sleeve, tears welling in his eyes. “Do you know what I just saw?”

Fang Yun had rushed back to school from home, breathless from hurrying to Evening Self-Study.

She tossed her hat onto the desk and changed into her uniform. “It was snowing on the way here.”

Pingtou, as usual, ignored her and continued his own train of thought. “Secretary Sheng is doing President Duan’s homework.”

Fang Yun paused mid-uniform change and glanced at Duan Yi. He was sprawled on his desk, playing with Sheng Yunze’s sleeve, alternately grabbing it and Sheng Yunze’s pen.

Sheng Yunze reached out and patted Duan Yi on the back of his hand, glancing at him. Duan Yi chuckled, their interaction natural—so natural it bordered on intimate.

“Weren’t those two always close?” Fang Yun pulled a stack of test papers from her backpack and slammed them onto the desk with a loud thud.

“I never noticed it before, but today they seem… weird. Like a couple,” Pingtou remarked, spotting Fang Yun’s completed papers. “You’re already done?!”

“Just one English cloze passage left. Damn it, I can’t take it anymore! Twenty-four test papers in two days of vacation—this is insane!”

Pingtou, forgetting all else, immediately turned sycophantic. “Sis, let me copy your biology! I haven’t even started. And maybe a little chemistry too…”

In the hallway, male students from Class Two were playing Aruba.

The game involved four or five boys lifting one of their classmates, forcibly spreading his legs to expose his crotch to the elements—a particularly cruel prank.

Typically, the victims were popular and good-natured.

But the game itself was mind-numbingly boring, like jumping to touch a doorframe.

The boys’ wild, ghostly howls echoed into the classroom.

Duan Yi asked Sheng Yunze, “Did you ever play Aruba in middle school?” He seemed genuinely curious.

Sheng Yunze lifted an eyelid. “Don’t start trouble.”

Duan Yi: …

“I was just asking! You’re so mean.” After a moment, he added defensively, “My leg still hurts! Can’t you show a little tenderness?”

He quickly added, “Even if this ‘jade’ is a bit on the larger side!”

Sheng Yunze couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re distracting me from studying.”

“Aren’t you helping me with my homework?” Duan Yi grumbled. “Your handwriting is too good. Bei-ge will never believe I wrote it.”

Sheng Yunze completed the assignment quickly, likely because he had already done it himself. He filled out the entire test paper almost as fast as if he were writing from memory.

“Trying to write like me is a waste of time. Don’t set yourself impossible challenges.”

Duan Yi caught the sarcasm. “Writing isn’t my strong suit. Drawing is. How about I draw you something?”

Getting excited, he pulled out a small knife and began carving into the desk. Sheng Yunze warned, “Vandalizing school property.”

Duan Yi’s own desk was already riddled with countless carvings.

There were names, stick figures, a five-in-a-row board, and a tic-tac-toe board.

In the upper right corner, Jiang Wangshu had carved the character “早” (early) for him—damn, that guy was such a jerk.

After Sheng Yunze finished writing one sheet, he asked, “Is there anything else you haven’t written?”

Duan Yi hesitated, then rephrased his question tactfully, “Why don’t you ask me what I have written?”

Sheng Yunze: ……

“Never mind,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “How many tests do you have for this double weekend? Get them all out.”

Tears welled up in Duan Yi’s eyes as he eagerly massaged Sheng Yunze’s shoulders and legs, using his newly learned phrase, “Brother Sheng, my revered Brother Sheng!”

Sheng Yunze: “No bootlicking. Call me ‘husband’ instead.”

Duan Yi paused, then declared solemnly, “That wouldn’t be proper. In broad daylight, under the clear sky, you’re unmarried and I’m unwed, with no official status and no matchmaker’s blessing…”

Sheng Yunze: “Do your own damn tests.”

Duan Yi’s ears perked up like a startled dog. He barked out a series of frantic cries, “Husband! Husband! Husband! Husband! Husband!”

Sheng Yunze: ……

This wasn’t nearly as sweet as he’d imagined.

“This is a loss.”

The next morning.

“President Duan, someone’s here to see you,” Pingtou said, knocking on the door.

Duan Yi turned to see a boy from Class Four standing in the doorway. “Duan-ge, Old He wants you in the Political Education Office.”

Sheng Yunze said calmly, “Just do as I told you.”

“Are you sure about this?” Duan Yi asked. “If you can’t keep your cool, I’ll look like a fool.”

“Then go ahead and shout through a megaphone that I marked you,” Sheng Yunze retorted.

Duan Yi: …

In the Political Education Office, Duan Yi knocked. “Teacher He, I’m coming in.”

Old He, Meng Tian, and Scar were all present.

Duan Yi glanced at Scar as he entered. Scar’s recovery wasn’t going well; he was sitting in a wheelchair, with his aunt, Xu Huifang, standing behind him. This time, her husband and son weren’t with her—only she had come.

Before Duan Yi entered, Xu Huifang had been tearfully pleading with Old He, “I don’t want anything else, just justice for my nephew. Even rich people can’t act like this… You’re driving our family to ruin…”

“Oh, what’s wrong?” Duan Yi asked with a mocking laugh.

Old He soothed Xu Huifang. When she looked at Duan Yi again, her eyes held not only cunning but also a venomous resentment.

“Duan Yi, come here. And Meng Tian, I’ve called you both here again today to settle this matter once and for all.”

Xu Huifang glanced nervously around Duan Yi, then turned to Principal He. “Principal He, why haven’t the other parents shown up?”

Her unspoken question hung in the air. How can we get compensation if they’re not here?

“Thirty thousand yuan for pocket money? I can get that right now. Why bother my parents?” Duan Yi lifted an eyebrow, his hands shoved into his school uniform pockets, radiating a cold, nonchalant anger.

“Do you think thirty thousand is enough anymore?!” Xu Huifang snapped. “You broke the law! You destroyed my family! Don’t even think about settling for less than eight hundred thousand!”

Principal He couldn’t help but interject. “Mrs. Xu Liang, we understand your distress, but the situation isn’t clear yet. Discussing compensation at this stage is premature.”

“Who else could it be?!” Xu Huifang retorted. “He beat up my nephew, hired thugs to wreck my shop, and forced my husband into hiding!”

Duan Yi raised an eyebrow. “What the hell are you talking about? I didn’t do any of that.”

He was utterly bewildered.

Xu Huifang was furious. She had managed to keep her composure until Duan Yi entered the room, but the moment she saw him, she erupted into a spittle-flecked tirade.

Old He dreaded these scenes. He knew there was no way to reason with Xu Huifang in her current state.

“Xu Liang’s parent, the school can’t interfere in family matters…”

“What do you mean you can’t interfere? You must! This was caused by a student from Second High School—who else is responsible if not you?”

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Old He escorted Xu Huifang to the principal’s office to calm down, leaving Duan Yi and Meng Tian behind.

“Now that it’s just the three of us in the Political Education Office, can you finally tell me what really happened?” Old He turned to Meng Tian. “Meng Tian, I promise not to breathe a word of what you tell me today. Okay?”

Meng Tian lowered her head and remained silent.

Duan Yi spoke up. “Teacher He, what’s this about me demolishing her family’s shop?”

Old He gave him a surprised look. Duan Yi’s jaw dropped.

“Teacher He, what’s with that expression? You don’t actually think I’m some rich second-generation tyrant who can do whatever he wants, do you?”

Old He shook his head. “I thought you were the one who did it.”

He spoke slowly, and Duan Yi gradually understood.

It turned out that the day before yesterday, Xu Huifang had barely returned home when the police arrived. They confiscated her illegal civilian rental property, which she had converted into a mahjong parlor, taking all the mahjong tables and hot water kettles. In an instant, she lost tens of thousands of yuan.

At the same time, her husband was caught in a honey trap while soliciting prostitutes. Photos were sent to his company group chat, and he was fired that very day, now unemployed at home.

Duan Yi had noticed whip marks on Xu Huifang’s hands earlier, suggesting she had been a victim of domestic violence.

“I didn’t do it,” Duan Yi admitted honestly. “If I had, I’d own up to it. But I didn’t.”

“I know you don’t have that kind of cunning,” Old He said, having observed Duan Yi for three years and understanding his character. Likely frustrated by the Xu family’s troubles, he added, “They brought this on themselves.”

“Now they’re blaming everything on me and demanding 800,000 yuan in compensation! That’s highway robbery! How much could that rundown mahjong parlor possibly be worth?”

Old He turned to Meng Tian. “Meng Tian, this has become serious. If you come forward and tell the truth, the school will support you.”

Meng Tian kept her head bowed.

Duan Yi also looked at her.

The girl seemed unaccustomed to being the center of attention. Her head drooped even lower.

Her bangs were a little long, Duan Yi noticed, and the wounds on her arms had been carefully treated with medicine.

Meng Tian… he remembered her as quite a pretty girl.

Duan Yi tried to recall the few times he’d seen her face clearly.

Delicate eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a small mouth, and porcelain-white skin—she had the kind of face that would make any man feel protective.

Why would someone bully her?

Duan Yi couldn’t understand. He naturally liked beautiful women and would be eager to show her kindness.

He didn’t realize that bullying in school could stem from countless reasons, many of them unpredictable.

Being pretty was one of them. Children’s jealousy often had no logic.

If a beautiful girl was even slightly popular with boys, rumors would spread that she was a slut, selling herself, or being kept by someone.

It didn’t take much to crush a flower.

Flowers were killed by words.

Meng Tian twisted her school uniform, waiting a long time before Teacher He finally heard her voice, as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, “I don’t know…”

Teacher He asked gently, “Are they threatening you with something?”

Meng Tian’s body trembled violently.

Duan Yi spoke up, “Teacher He, don’t ask anymore.”

Old He, likely realizing further questioning would be futile, sighed. “You two can go back now. I’ll try to reach Xu Liang’s parents again.”

Duan Yi pushed open the door and heard Xu Huifang’s loud, vigorous sobs from the principal’s office next door—a sound that seemed almost theatrical.

Meng Tian stood like a roadside wildflower, its petals drenched and extinguished by a storm. She hadn’t had time to unfurl her boundless vitality, to show the world the beauty hidden in this corner, before a malicious child had crushed her into the mud.

Duan Yi walked ahead of her, then stopped.

Meng Tian halted. Duan Yi turned around. They were alone on the rooftop.

“You knew there was an inducer in the school uniform, didn’t you?”

After a long silence, Duan Yi saw Meng Tian’s response. A barely perceptible nod.

“What did Scar use to threaten you?” Duan Yi asked.

Meng Tian remained silent.

“If he can threaten you once, what’s stopping him from doing it again? He tried to kill me this time. Who’s next?”

“I don’t know…” Meng Tian whispered.

“You do know. You probably thought, ‘I only have one year left of high school. What are the chances I’ll run into another Duan Yi?'”

Meng Tian’s head hung low, unmoving.

Duan Yi chuckled. “You probably think, ‘My dad’s Duan Ji Huai, so I’m a rich kid. Scar can’t threaten me. Even if I get expelled, I can just go abroad. I’ll never go hungry. If I can’t study at Second High, there are plenty of other schools.'”

Meng Tian twisted the corner of her school uniform again.

Duan Yi continued, “But you’re different. You have no power or connections. Scar knows Tiger Brother now. Killing a high school girl like you would be as easy as crushing an ant. That’s why you’re cooperating with him, hoping he’ll spare you, right?”

Meng Tian’s face turned as white as paper.

“But you still warned me,” Duan Yi said. “Does your conscience bother you?”

“You… you know everything…” Meng Tian stammered. “You should… tell Teacher He…”

Duan Yi noticed Meng Tian’s stutter worsened when she tried to speak in longer sentences. He wondered if this was one of the reasons her classmates bullied her.

But it was certainly why she hesitated to speak at all—she feared her stutter would bring her misfortune.

A long silence hung over the rooftop before Duan Yi finally spoke.

“No. I’m going to admit I hit Scar and pay him off.”

His plan was to smooth things over, give Scar what he wanted, and protect Meng Tian.

Meng Tian’s eyes widened, and she jerked her head up, staring at Duan Yi as if he were a monster. “W-why didn’t you… report me? I helped Scar…”

Duan Yi shrugged. “Because I’m a second-generation rich kid. My dad’s Duan Ji Huai. I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth. Even if I get expelled, I’ll still have somewhere to go. But you? You weren’t so lucky. Getting expelled would ruin your life. I don’t know what Scar has on you, but it’s probably something that could destroy you too.”

He rubbed his nose. “You know how we rich kids all have this savior complex, right?”

The winter wind whipped across the rooftop, stinging Meng Tian’s face, but she felt its warmth.

The boy stood silhouetted against the light, yet Meng Tian saw the sun in him.

Leaning against the railing, Duan Yi declared shamelessly, “If you’re feeling all touched and teary-eyed, just stand there and cry. Don’t even think about hugging me and taking advantage. I don’t offer shoulder-to-cry-on services.”

He grinned, radiating boyish charm and straightforwardness. “Besides having a savior complex, we rich kids also love early romance. So, this magnificent shoulder of mine already belongs to someone else!”

This rich kid is really weird, Meng Tian thought.

Then she realized, I’ve never met a boy like him before.