What's Wrong with This Alpha? - Chapter 93

Chapter 93 – Showing Affection

When Duan Yi returned to the dormitory, he became the center of attention.

Xiaobang, holding his foot-washing basin, nervously glanced at Duan Yi and cautiously suggested, “Um… President Duan, why don’t you sleep with Secretary Sheng tonight?”

Duan Yi: ……

Bookworm: “Holy shit! Amen! Amitabha! Tonight, I’m going to sleep with an Omega…”

Duan Yi threw his backpack down and retorted, “Don’t make it sound like I suddenly turned into a woman, okay?”

Jiang Wangshu cut to the chase, “Where’s Secretary Sheng? Did he come back to the dormitory?”

Duan Yi: “Why else would I be here? You think I’d stay behind to sleep with you guys?”

Bookworm: “Actually, I wouldn’t mind…”

Duan Yi glared at him. “Dream on! You’re always daydreaming about impossible fantasies… Keep dreaming!”

Bookworm: ……

I’ve been wanting to ask this for a while, President Duan. You don’t seem to care much about your own chastity, but you’re fiercely protective of Secretary Sheng. The thing is, I’m just a Beta—how could I possibly have designs on Secretary Sheng?

But then Bookworm thought again. Sheng Yunze was quite handsome, and compared to Duan Yi, it seemed more plausible that Secretary Sheng was an Omega.

The moment he connected “Omega” with Sheng Yunze, Bookworm shuddered. Forget it, he thought. Secretary Sheng… though undeniably beautiful, is a total sadist.

The dormitory’s hot water shut off at 11:30 PM. Duan Yi showered like he was in a battle, his hair still dripping wet as he lunged toward his bed—though usually at this hour, he’d be diving onto Jiang Wangshu’s bed instead.

Jiang Wangshu quickly grabbed him and shoved him out the door. “Go dry your hair!”

Second High School’s dormitories had a strict rule: hair dryers couldn’t exceed 1000 watts to prevent fires.

As Duan Yi put it, “This 1000-watt dryer is practically like blowing with your mouth.”

Jiang Wangshu tossed the little frog-shaped hair dryer and Duan Yi out together—hair drying wasn’t allowed inside the dorms, only in the hallway.

When Duan Yi emerged, several students were already drying their hair in the corridor. One boy stood before the mirror, preening and styling his hair as he dried it.

The harsh winter hadn’t fully receded, and Duan Yi was still wearing a thick pajama set.

He elbowed aside a male classmate who was nearly done drying his hair and forcibly commandeered the outlet. The classmate, about to protest, burst into laughter when he saw it was Duan Yi. “Enough already!”

Duan Yi was well-acquainted with all the guys on the corridor and didn’t hold back. “Let me use it for a bit. With those two strands of hair on your head, a puff of breath would dry them.”

The classmate, a towel draped over his shoulder, sized Duan Yi up and down. “So, you and Sheng Yunze are together now?”

Duan Yi’s face fell. Damn it…

Old He’s broadcast had really done the trick. Duan Yi had only wanted a low-key relationship, but now the whole school knew about it.

The classmate winked and nudged him. “Don’t be shy! Impressive! You snagged the school beauty! You two are something else, pulling off such a grand spectacle.”

Duan Yi snapped impatiently, “Get lost!”

The classmate had always seen Duan Yi as just one of the guys, so he’d never paid much attention to his looks.

Now that Duan Yi seemed less like “one of the guys,” the classmate scrutinized him and realized he was actually quite cute.

Even though Duan Yi was male, his face had a distinctly feminine quality, likely inherited from his mother. At seventeen, he still retained a hint of baby fat, giving his cheeks a slightly plump appearance when viewed from the side.

His hair was soft, and his hands didn’t look as large or masculine as most men’s, appearing delicate with clearly defined knuckles and a captivating beauty that easily stirred fantasies in adolescent boys.

His eyes were large and round, resembling a cat’s when widened, their depths shimmering with a watery radiance.

A classic handsome boy with double eyelids and eyelashes so long they looked like tiny slides.

His mouth was also remarkably well-shaped, seemingly never chapped, like a Xizhi jelly with a natural hint of red bean paste color.

Kissing him must feel amazing, the male classmate thought absently. He looks so soft.

Sheng Yunze must have kissed him before. Holy shit! How did I never notice how cute Duan Yi is before?

Then he wondered, Sheng Yunze must be having the time of his life, right?

Duan Yi resembled the female lead from My Sassy Girl. Back in Caihe Middle School, people used to call him “Caihe Jeon Ji-hyun,” and he was quite famous for it…

The male classmate chuckled softly, feeling a mix of wistfulness and envy toward Sheng Yunze.

Duan Yi kicked him while blow-drying his hair. “Get out of the way, you’re blocking the breeze.”

What they called a “corridor” was actually just a balcony.

One side, facing the dormitory, had a mirror, while the other side was the balcony itself, offering a clear view of the neighboring Omega dormitory building.

Duan Yi’s dormitory building was the best at Second High School. Every summer, a bunch of bored, restless teenage boys would gaze longingly at the girls’ and Omega dormitories across the way, their gazes so intense they seemed to bore through the autumn waters. They’d strum guitars, shout messages, even resort to singing cheesy mountain songs—they’d tried everything. Each attempt ended the same way: Old He would catch them, and the next day, the entire group would have to read apology letters under the national flag, citing “harassment of female classmates” as the reason. Duan Yi was always the ringleader.

While Duan Yi’s hairdryer blasted hot air, he craved the cool breeze from outside the balcony.

A single kick wasn’t enough; he pressed his foot against the other boy’s thigh, relentlessly shoving him aside.

For some reason, the boy didn’t get angry. Instead, his gaze drifted to Duan Yi’s calves. Duan Yi, feeling hot after his shower, had rolled his long pajama pants up to his thighs, turning them into makeshift shorts.

After all, it was just the boys’ side, and he didn’t really care about Alpha/Omega distinctions.

His calves were slender, with a balanced mix of muscle and bone, and strikingly pale. The night’s darkness only accentuated their whiteness, and under the fluorescent lights, they seemed to almost glow.

When Duan Yi stepped on him, he wasn’t wearing shoes. The male classmate felt a ticklish sensation, his mind racing with the urge to grab Duan Yi’s restless leg.

That ankle is so slender, he thought. A man’s hand could easily wrap around it twice.

Without betraying his thoughts, the classmate shifted his gaze from Duan Yi’s calf to his thigh. The flesh there was fuller, yet still lean and graceful, like the legs he’d seen in meticulously drawn Japanese manga.

He looks like an Omega.

Does he even have leg hair?

“Hey, Duan Yi—” the classmate chuckled, rolling away. “I’m rolling, I’m rolling! Don’t kick me!”

He turned over, ready to seize an opportunity for some playful teasing, when he suddenly saw Sheng Yunze standing there.

The classmate froze, his mind blank. He awkwardly greeted Sheng Yunze.

Duan Yi’s hair, disheveled by the classmate’s antics, caught the scent of Golden Fleece lavender before he even looked up. When he saw Sheng Yunze, his eyes lit up. “You’re still awake?”

Sheng Yunze was in a foul mood. He stared silently at Duan Yi for a moment before wordlessly crouching down to pull Duan Yi’s pajama pants, which had ridden up to his thighs, back down.

Then, he fixed the male classmate with an icy glare that sent shivers down the classmate’s spine. “Ha ha,” the classmate stammered, hastily bidding Duan Yi farewell. “I’m heading back to the dorms—lights out soon! You guys chat!”

Duan Yi didn’t respond, mainly because the hairdryer was too loud for him to hear.

Since Sheng Yunze was there, he shamelessly thrust the hairdryer into his hands. “Blow-dry my hair for me.”

“Don’t roll your pants up so high next time,” Sheng Yunze warned him.

Duan Yi didn’t see anything wrong with rolling them up and nodded dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, yeah…”

Remembering Duan Yi’s Omega status, Sheng Yunze suggested, “Tell the Old Class Teacher tomorrow you don’t want to room with Jiang Wangshu and the others anymore. Move to the opposite building.”

“Hell no!” Duan Yi instantly protested. “Absolutely not! Then everyone will know I’m an Omega. I don’t want that.”

Sheng Yunze felt a surge of anger, even though he knew this wasn’t the real world…

But Duan Yi didn’t realize that every time Sheng Yunze thought about this issue, it felt like a thorn stuck in his throat—painful to remove, but even more painful to leave in.

This weighed heavily on his mind, making him unusually quiet.

Duan Yi seemed to notice this.

Though Sheng Yunze was rumored to be an aloof “High Mountain Flower” at school, he acted like a childish elementary schooler around Duan Yi.

Not just childish, but also… well, a bit of a repressed pervert.

Duan Yi explained, “Besides, I’m in my third year of high school. Changing dorms in the last semester would mess with my studies, you know?”

He actually wanted to add that for his final semester, he’d have to go out to study painting.

Even if he didn’t go out, staying in the school’s art studio with the Second High School art class meant he’d barely attend any regular classes all day.

The struggles of an art student… Duan Yi felt utterly dejected.

Sheng Yunze wanted to say, What difference could your few points possibly make?

But mindful of the saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” he kept silent and simply continued drying Duan Yi’s hair.

Under his hands, Duan Yi was like a contented little cat, still wanting more even after his hair was dry. He looked up at Sheng Yunze and said, “So I won’t change dorms then…”

Then he muttered, “Why are you acting like my dad, trying to control me?”

Sheng Yunze’s gaze remained calm. “If you want to call me that, you can say it in bed.”

Duan Yi: “=口=! Fuck!”

Damn it, why did he suddenly make such a suggestive remark? I can’t handle this! How is Sheng Yunze getting so smooth? This inexplicable familiarity…

Sheng Yunze turned off the hairdryer and wrapped an arm around Duan Yi’s waist.

Duan Yi was ticklish there. He laughed so hard he collapsed into Sheng Yunze’s arms, who squeezed his waist as if checking whether he’d been eating properly lately.

Duan Yi kept laughing, then grabbed the hairdryer and pushed Sheng Yunze away. “I’m done playing. I’m going back to my dorm to sleep.”

Sheng Yunze watched him. Duan Yi quickly glanced left and right down the corridor to make sure no one was around. Then, he stood on tiptoe and gave Sheng Yunze a quick kiss, feeling rather embarrassed. “I’m heading back now!”

Before he could turn around, Sheng Yunze grabbed his arm, his grip surprisingly tight and a little painful. In an instant, Duan Yi was forcefully pulled back into Sheng Yunze’s arms.

Why is he hugging me so much today?

Before Duan Yi could dwell on it, Sheng Yunze leaned in for a kiss.

They shared a tense, hurried kiss. Duan Yi didn’t dare let Sheng Yunze continue.

The corridor was empty now, but someone might come out to use the restroom soon, so he quickly pulled away.

“I’m really leaving now! Damn it, don’t kiss me here next time. It’ll look bad if someone sees us.”

Sheng Yunze: “You kissed me first.”

Duan Yi: “I only kissed you after checking if anyone was around! You’re the one who doesn’t care!”

Sheng Yunze: “Are you sure about that?”

Duan Yi was supremely confident. “Absolutely! I may not have eaten pork, but I’ve seen pigs run. Do you think I’d let a teacher catch us?”

Sheng Yunze gestured for Duan Yi to look up. They were standing directly beneath a security camera.

Duan Yi: ……

Life is rarely smooth sailing.

Compared to the broadcast incident during tonight’s Evening Self-Study, being caught kissing on surveillance cameras suddenly seemed trivial.

Duan Yi had resigned himself to fate. “Whatever, maybe the protagonist’s life is just destined to be this dramatic.”

He looked up. “What are you doing in the hallway?”

Duan Yi had only just remembered to ask.

When he’d seen Sheng Yunze come out earlier, he’d assumed he was going to get hot water or hang up laundry.

But so far, Sheng Yunze hadn’t done anything except come out to dry his hair.

“I wanted to see you,” Sheng Yunze said bluntly. “I went back to the dorm and thought I could endure one night without you, but I couldn’t. So I came out.”

He rarely spoke so directly.

Duan Yi was completely stunned. A blush crept up his neck, spreading until his entire face turned crimson.

Sheng Yunze really rarely speaks like this, he thought again.

Duan Yi’s mind exploded like a thousand fireworks bursting in the sky.

He knew Sheng Yunze was a proud, stubborn, sharp-tongued, manipulative, and sadistic man. Hearing such a straightforward declaration of longing from him was rarer than climbing to heaven.

Caught completely off guard, Duan Yi’s first thought was regret that he hadn’t recorded Sheng Yunze’s words!

“Ah… ah?” Duan Yi stammered, unable to finish his reply. “But… but what should we do? We’re not even in the same dorm…”

Duan Yi stuttered, feeling a sudden wave of nervousness and awkwardness.

Sheng Yunze invited him, “Come to our dorm.”

“That might not be a good idea…” Duan Yi hesitated.

Sheng Yunze had already made up his mind. Without waiting for Duan Yi to decide, he headed straight for Duan Yi’s dorm.

Xiaobang and the others were huddled around the table, studying their mistake notebooks by flashlight. When they saw Sheng Yunze enter, they immediately assumed it was a dorm inspection. They scrambled under their blankets, extinguishing the flashlight’s glow, each feigning sleep with remarkable conviction.

Jiang Wangshu was the first to recognize Sheng Yunze. He let out a sigh of relief and, spotting Duan Yi, threw back his blanket.

Sheng Yunze borrowed Jiang Wangshu’s flashlight, scanned the table, and grabbed Duan Yi’s backpack. “Duan Yi’s sleeping with me tonight.”

Jiang Wangshu, biting his exam paper, gasped. “…Is that… allowed?”

“Jiang Wangshu, what’s with that expression?!” Duan Yi snapped. “Keep your mind clean! I’m just going to sleep!”

Jiang Wangshu, adopting the mournful look of a father marrying off his daughter, collapsed dramatically onto his bed, feigning fragility. “I knew this day would come sooner or later, my dear Duan…”

“Duan, your sister! =口=!” Duan Yi cursed.

Under the watchful eyes of Xiaobang, Jiang Wangshu, and Bookworm, who looked like they were sending their daughter off to her wedding, Duan Yi arrived at Sheng Yunze’s dormitory.

Pingtou was muttering to himself, likely memorizing English vocabulary. When he saw Duan Yi at the door, he seemed both surprised and unsurprised.

As expected, even though the lights were supposed to be out by 11:30 PM in their third year, not a single student was asleep.

In Sheng Yunze’s dorm, Pingtou and the others each had a small flashlight hidden under their blankets. After lights-out, they would pull out hidden desks from under their beds and continue studying.

During the final three months before the exams, even normally carefree students like Jiang Wangshu began studying relentlessly, from 5:30 AM to midnight, sleeping only three or four hours a night. During class, they corrected homework, and after class, they tackled extra practice problems.

Last night had been an exception due to the start of the new semester, when they had watched a movie. But such relaxed moments were unlikely to recur.

Caught up in this intense study atmosphere, Duan Yi felt a surge of motivation.

Normally, he wouldn’t even bring his backpack back to the dorm.

Although the single beds in the boys’ dorm weren’t large, they weren’t small either.

Two people could comfortably fit. Duan Yi remembered sleeping on Sheng Yunze’s bed last semester. Revisiting the familiar spot stirred a sense of nostalgia.

Sheng Yunze switched on the small desk lamp. Duan Yi noticed the duty teacher pacing outside, checking which dorms still had lights on or students using their phones.

Each dorm door displayed the grade level, class, and names of the residents.

By this hour, the teachers usually knew which dorms housed third-year students. Even if they saw a desk lamp on, they wouldn’t bother checking inside. They’d only knock around 1:00 AM to remind students not to study too late.

Duan Yi pulled out his practice test and whispered, “What time do you guys usually go to bed?”

Sheng Yunze, preoccupied with his own thoughts, replied, “It depends. I usually go to bed early.”

Pingtou removed his headphones, and Duan Yi finally heard the English listening practice playing. “Secretary Sheng finishes his work quickly and studies better than us. He’s asleep by 1:00 AM. We usually crash around 2:30 AM.”

Duan Yi, who fell asleep the moment the lights went out every night, was speechless. A pang of guilt finally stirred within him.

Pingtou noticed Sheng Yunze writing on a blank sheet of paper that didn’t look like a test. “Secretary Sheng, what are you writing?” he asked casually.

Sheng Yunze didn’t even look up. “A self-criticism.”

Pingtou: ??!!

Sheng Yunze remained unfazed by the task. “It has to be read under the flag on Monday. For early romance. With Duan Yi.”

Duan Yi: “Damn, I forgot about that! Brother, let me copy yours when you’re done!”

Fuck…

Pingtou was utterly bewildered, his hair whipping wildly in the wind.

He’d seen people working overtime to write exam papers, but never anyone working overtime to write a self-criticism.

Sheng Yunze, you can’t—or at least you shouldn’t!

On a night when his classmates were pouring their hearts and souls into studying, he was here… flaunting his romance!