What's Wrong with This Alpha? - Chapter 63

Chapter 63 – Youthful Frivolity

Duan Yi never expected Meng Tian to speak up at that moment.

Xu Liang, standing to Meng Tian’s right, froze alongside him, his face contorting into a kaleidoscope of expressions.

After uttering those two sentences, Meng Tian seemed to have exhausted all the courage she had mustered in her life, collapsing weakly.

Duan Yi steadied her, and Old He finally noticed her distress—her pale face and purplish lips. He hurriedly instructed a teacher to take her to the infirmary immediately.

With the flag-raising speech devolving into such chaos, Old He had no choice but to task the homeroom teachers with calming their classes.

Before the announcement could even be broadcast, the wail of police sirens echoed from the school gate.

Students turned sideways, craning their necks to peer toward the entrance.

Old He’s heart skipped a beat. Abandoning any pretense of calming the students, he barked orders for the homeroom teachers to swiftly guide their classes back to their classrooms.

By the time the police arrived, only a few supervising teachers and Duan Yi remained on the sports field.

Students who hadn’t fully retreated to their classrooms kept twisting around to glance at the field, catching glimpses of Scar being led down from the podium by two young officers.

Then Old He called Duan Yi over, and then… Sheng Yunze?

Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm???

Where did Sheng Yunze come from???

A small group of students were utterly bewildered.

Duan Yi stood dumbfounded beneath the flagpole, still clutching his apology letter, when a uniform jacket landed on his shoulders.

Warm, faintly carrying Sheng Yunze’s Alpha pheromones, and smelling of lavender from Sheng Yunze’s favorite Golden Fleece laundry detergent.

Before Duan Yi could react, Sheng Yunze pulled him into a tight embrace. Duan Yi’s heart pounded wildly, and he felt a lump forming in his throat.

But before he could even begin to feel moved, Sheng Yunze’s “tender moment” coupon had expired—and hadn’t been renewed.

The next instant, Sheng Yunze pinched Duan Yi’s cheeks and began kneading them like dough.

“Ouch!” Duan Yi yelped.

Sheng Yunze glared coldly. “Still daring to yelp? Had your fill of the spotlight? Enjoying the thrill? Feeling cool? Having fun playing the hero?”

Tears welled in Duan Yi’s eyes. “It hurts! It hurts so much…”

A thunderous expression darkened Sheng Yunze’s face. “You feel the pain now? Why didn’t you think about the pain earlier?”

Duan Yi thought, That doesn’t quite add up. I was standing right under the national flag just now, and it didn’t hurt at all.

But Sheng Yunze looked furious, and Duan Yi didn’t dare provoke him. He instantly cowered, not even daring to argue back.

“It hurt me too,” Duan Yi said sincerely. “My heart ached!”

“Serves you right,” Sheng Yunze retorted coldly. “Do you have any idea how many people’s hearts ache because of you?”

Duan Yi stared at him, bewildered.

The harsh words Sheng Yunze had been about to unleash caught in his throat, leaving him speechless.

“Forget it, Duan Yi,” Sheng Yunze said, taking a deep breath. He placed his hand on Duan Yi’s shoulder, his grip tightening. “You can never leave me.”

Duan Yi: “…Huh?”

Sheng Yunze: “Swear right now that you’ll never leave me.”

Infected by Sheng Yunze’s solemn expression, Duan Yi unconsciously repeated the oath, “I swear I’ll never leave you.”

He paused, wanting to ask in a curious tone, Why do I have to swear this?

Sheng Yunze let out a relieved breath, but he still looked unconvinced.

Duan Yi glanced up at the vibrant five-starred red flag and said earnestly, “Do you think swearing under the national flag makes it more solemn?”

Sheng Yunze looked up and realized they were standing beneath the national flag.

Duan Yi spoke awkwardly, “I need to tell you something.”

“Let’s talk about it back in the classroom,” Sheng Yunze replied.

Duan Yi grabbed his arm. “No, I have to tell you now.”

“How many words?” Sheng Yunze asked.

“It’ll be quick,” Duan Yi promised. “Meng Tian confessed in front of everyone that she and Xu Liang were behind it.”

After a long silence, Duan Yi finally spoke, “I never saw that coming.”

He glanced down at the schoolyard, then at Sheng Yunze, before fixing his gaze on his shoes. After a long pause, he looked up and asked, “Do you think I…”

“It’s my fault,” Sheng Yunze said calmly.

Duan Yi felt his own intelligence struggling to keep up with Sheng Yunze’s leaps in logic.

Sheng Yunze believed his mistake was overestimating himself, thinking he could smooth over and resolve any trouble Duan Yi might get into.

“Huh?” Duan Yi was confused again. He stammered awkwardly, “I mean, do you think I’m…”

“You don’t need to ask me,” Sheng Yunze said. “If you do, you’ll only get the answer that you’re not at fault.”

Duan Yi: =口=!

Sheng Yunze: “I’ll never think you’re wrong.”

After saying this, Sheng Yunze didn’t hear Duan Yi’s response and grew displeased. “Why aren’t you reacting?”

Duan Yi blinked blankly. “Reacting how?”

The school beauty’s displeasure intensified. “You should be moved to tears, throw yourself at my feet, and declare, ‘Husband, you’re so wonderful!'”

Duan Yi: …Secretary Sheng, your imagination is running wild! I told you not to watch True Love’s Million-Dollar Bride with Jiang Wangshu and the others!

He forced himself to look teary-eyed at Sheng Yunze. “I’m truly moved. Tears are streaming in the chat.”

He scratched his cheek and asked, “Are the police here to take Scar away?”

Sheng Yunze: “They found Xu Liang’s transaction records for the inducer at Tiger Brother’s place. They also discovered Xu Liang’s past record of inducer use, so they’re taking him to the police station for questioning.”

Duan Yi: “Will he go to jail?”

Sheng Yunze: “What do you think?”

Duan Yi: “Is Scar an adult? I remember he repeated a year.”

Sheng Yunze said calmly, “Not only will Scar go to jail, but Xu Huifang’s husband will too.”

Duan Yi’s eyes widened. “Why?”

“Xu Huifang’s husband embezzled four hundred thousand yuan from the company. He’ll get at least four years.”

Duan Yi paused, stunned. “How do you know?”

“I have my ways,” Sheng Yunze replied. “What else do you think I’ve been doing these past two days? Going on picnics?”

A pang of guilt struck Duan Yi. “I thought you were still angry with me.”

“I am,” Sheng Yunze confirmed. “You’d better find a way to make it up to me.”

Duan Yi tried to follow them to the police station, but Old He stopped him. “Duan Yi, this is out of your hands now. Go back to class.”

He paused, then added, “The school will reconsider your disciplinary action. Don’t worry.”

“Oh…” Duan Yi trailed off, wanting to say more but holding his tongue.

When he returned to the classroom, it was in chaos.

The room buzzed with voices.

“Holy shit, they really took Scar away?”

“Everyone’s talking about it on the forum! I knew President Duan was innocent!”

“Lots of people saw it and took pictures!”

“No shit, with sirens blaring that loud…”

“Damn, that bitch got what she deserved…”

“Holy crap, my legs are still shaking! Did you see how cool I looked on the outside? I was freaking out inside! What if Old He had actually gone through with expelling me? I’m still terrified thinking about it. I’d have let down my ancestors!”

Jiang Wangshu spotted Duan Yi first and quickly greeted him, “You’re back.”

Everyone turned to look.

Duan Yi stood at the classroom door, silent for a moment before finally saying, “Thank you.”

Jiang Wangshu blurted out, “Damn it, Duan Bao, don’t make things so awkward!”

“It’s not that awkward,” Duan Yi replied. “My thanks were genuine, full of heartfelt sincerity.” He returned to his seat, feeling a bit embarrassed, especially with everyone staring at him. “What were you all thinking? What if no one had joined your little protest and they’d actually expelled you? Fang Yun, you were especially reckless.”

Fang Yun: “Just walking a tightrope for love!” Seeing Sheng Yunze, she added, “Walking a tightrope for someone else’s love.”

Hao Shanshan: “You’re underestimating yourself, Daddy. I think plenty of people would be willing to speak up for you.” She clutched her chest in a Xi Shi Heart-Clutching gesture. “Provided you haven’t actually broken any laws.”

Pingtou: “But President Duan, what I said earlier doesn’t count. I still want to find a girlfriend…”

Sheng Yunze frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Jiang Wangshu suddenly understood. “Oh, Secretary Sheng, you came back late and missed it! We all collectively married Comrade Xiao Duan earlier!”

He meticulously recreated the embarrassingly melodramatic scene, Sheng Yunze’s face darkening with each detail.

Finally, Jiang Wangshu concluded, “Fang Yun’s plan is still the best. Even though you told us to stall for time, stalling during a speech under the national flag requires real skill!”

Fang Yun modestly replied, “Not at all, Chairman. It was just a flash of inspiration! You’re too kind. It’s mainly thanks to your excellent leadership…”

Sheng Yunze: …

Why are the trees outside the window so exceptionally green?

Duan Yi was bewildered. “What do you mean ‘stalling for time’?”

Jiang Wangshu explained, “Secretary Sheng ordered it. While you were giving your speech, he went to the police station to get them involved. He wants to publicly humiliate Scar in front of the entire school. Scar loves using cyberbullying to punish others, right? Let him taste his own medicine! Have you checked the forum lately? Holy crap, it’s on fire! Everyone’s talking about Scar getting arrested. What’s that saying? ‘An eye for an eye.'”

Hao Shanshan added, “The key is to publicly humiliate him in front of the whole school. If we don’t, what if he tries to bite back? Plus, even though this plan is risky, it’s a permanent solution. The school can’t just brush this off with the police watching. They’ll have to expel Scar.”

Jiang Wangshu: “Old Xiao and the others hesitated for ages before deciding not to involve the Public Security Bureau. They were worried about next year’s enrollment rates and Second High School’s reputation. They thought they could make the students take the fall, but they forgot to ask if the students would go along with it.”

Duan Yi: “…Huh?”

That was the word he’d said most today.

Jiang Wangshu affectionately patted Duan Yi’s head, then said in a disgustingly sweet voice, “Oh, Mommy’s little piggy! Mommy hopes you’ll always be a happy little piglet.”

A vein popped on Duan Yi’s forehead. “I’ll turn you into a pig’s head faster than you can say ‘oink’! You wanna bet?!”

Jiang Wangshu shrugged. “We didn’t tell you because your acting skills are terrible.”

Duan Yi was speechless. “What the hell are you talking about…?”

He grumbled, but a smile tugged at his lips.

The classmates gathered around him, creating a scene of youthful camaraderie.

Fang Yun sighed wistfully, “Looking back, I was kind of an idiot, but it felt so good! I’ve never done anything this crazy in my life!”

Once she started, she couldn’t stop.

The others chimed in with their own reflections.

“My voice was shaking the whole time! If Secretary Sheng had arrived half a minute later, I would have collapsed!”

“Hey, I actually think I’m pretty cool. Why isn’t anyone recording my dashing silhouette as I step up to the plate?”

“This incident is legendary enough to be passed down through generations. Back when your grandfather was in high school…”

“After seventeen years, I’ve finally done something worthy of the history books! It’s stupid, but it’s exactly the kind of stupid thing I’d do!”

“You’re insane! Hahahaha!”

“…”

By afternoon, Second High School had returned to its usual calm, but the forum was still buzzing with discussions about Scar’s arrest.

Scar’s direct apprehension by the police was unprecedented at Second High School, making him an instant sensation. His notoriety even overshadowed Duan Yi and Meng Tian.

Eighteen generations of his ancestors were dug up and paraded before the gawking masses.

Ten o’clock that night.

Sheng Yunze, carrying food and milk, dragged Duan Yi out of his dorm.

Duan Yi had skipped lunch with Jiang Wangshu that afternoon, slipping away quickly after class. Sheng Yunze hadn’t even managed to catch the tip of his “rabbit tail.”

When Sheng Yunze finally found him, Duan Yi was hiding on the balcony, sneaking bites of potato chips. He barely managed a couple of bites before Sheng Yunze caught him red-handed, dragging him “howling” all the way to the rooftop.

The night wind was fierce, its icy blades whipping across their faces.

Sheng Yunze threw a thick coat at Duan Yi’s head. Before Duan Yi could react, Sheng Yunze had scooped him up, coat and all, into his arms, cradling him like a large plush toy.

Duan Yi wasn’t exactly petite, so his legs dangled awkwardly from Sheng Yunze’s embrace.

Sheng Yunze settled onto the only sofa on the rooftop—a relic Jiang Wangshu had smuggled up last year for late-night sweet potato roasts. The Political Education Office had caught them several times, confiscating the sweet potatoes but leaving the sofa untouched.

This led Jiang Wangshu to seriously suspect that the teachers in the Political Education Office were just after his roasted sweet potatoes.

“Why didn’t you eat dinner?” Sheng Yunze asked.

“I can’t talk to you like this. I can’t even turn my head,” Duan Yi grumbled, deftly changing the subject. “I’m wearing too many layers.”

He was sensitive to the cold, and bundled up in winter, he looked even more like a little pig, his nose bright red from the chill. He hissed and sucked in a few sharp breaths of cold air.

Sheng Yunze loosened his grip slightly. After a moment’s hesitation, Duan Yi asked, “How’s Scar? What did the police say?”

“Not clear yet. We’ll find out soon enough. But they won’t get away with this.”

Duan Yi tensed. “Will they call me and Meng Tian in? What if they make me go to the hospital for another physical? I—I’m not going.”

“If they take me in, they’ll find out about the lifelong mark,” Duan Yi said, caring only about Sheng Yunze.

In his eyes, Sheng Yunze—the person, his future, and his prospects—was more important than anything else.

“It won’t be like before,” Sheng Yunze replied.

If they had involved the police from the beginning, Duan Yi and Meng Tian would likely have been taken to the station for questioning, and the necessary medical examinations would have been unavoidable.

But now, Xu Liang was being taken in because they had found records of his inducer purchases through Tiger Brother—nothing to do with Duan Yi or Second High School. At most, Meng Tian might need to go to the police station.

Sheng Yunze didn’t press Duan Yi about his refusal to undergo the examination. Instead, he took Duan Yi’s hand and played with it, turning it over and over in his own.

“Li Yuan hired someone to beat up Xu Liang.”

“Oh.”

Sheng Yunze was surprised. “Why aren’t you more shocked?”

Duan Yi hesitated. “I guessed it. You didn’t come with me to the Political Education Office last time. When Meng Tian came the second time, her injuries had been treated, and I smelled Li Yuan’s pheromones on her.”

Sheng Yunze’s jealousy flared inexplicably. “Why are you always smelling other Alphas’ pheromones?”

Duan Yi replied tactfully, “How is that my fault? I didn’t do it on purpose.”

Another period of silence followed.

Sheng Yunze asked him, “Why aren’t you saying anything? Pondering the meaning of life as a pig?”

“Haha,” Duan Yi chuckled awkwardly, trying to sound casual. “I was just remembering how I used to brag to Meng Tian about protecting her, but my protection doesn’t seem very obvious…”

His voice trailed off, becoming increasingly stiff. “It’s just… I feel like I’m causing you a lot of trouble, making you worry. I’m sorry.”

After a long hesitation, Duan Yi finally said, “I regret it.”

He quickly added, “I’m tired. I want to sleep.”

Sheng Yunze understood Duan Yi’s clumsy attempt to change the subject. He nodded at the bowl Duan Yi was still clutching tightly. “Are you still going to eat?”

Duan Yi hesitated for a moment, then hunger won out over pride. “Yes.”

Duan Yi’s eating habits were strangely endearing.

He would take huge bites, cramming food into his mouth and chewing with gusto.

His face was practically buried in the bowl, obscuring his expression. He didn’t say a word, choked twice, and paused briefly.

Then, mid-meal, he fell asleep.

Half the rice remained. A few grains clung to Duan Yi’s cheek. One moment he had been bantering with Sheng Yunze, the next his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, until they closed and refused to open again.

Sheng Yunze pried the rice bowl from Duan Yi’s grasp with considerable effort, marveling at Duan Yi’s instinct to guard his food even in his sleep. A hint of tenderness flickered in his eyes as he murmured, “Calling you a pig was spot-on.”

Duan Yi’s hair was soft. Sheng Yunze gazed at him intently for a moment before tucking his slightly long bangs behind his ear. He noticed a small piercing in Duan Yi’s left ear and couldn’t resist pinching it, his fingers brushing against lingering dampness.

He froze.

In that instant, an invisible hand seemed to clench Sheng Yunze’s heart, a dull ache and suffocating weight pressing down on him. The sudden lack of oxygen nearly stole his breath.

A profound sense of helplessness washed over him, as if he had reached the end of his student days, stood on the precipice of adulthood, and tasted the first bitter drops of responsibility. This heavy weight settled squarely on the young man’s shoulders.

I want to protect him forever, like a delicate flower.

To keep him happy always, to never let him shed a tear.

His tears should belong only to me.

Sheng Yunze’s youthful, impulsive heart made this solemn vow.

He didn’t yet know that fulfilling this teenage promise would require the entirety of his life.