What's Wrong with This Alpha? - Chapter 98

Chapter 98 – Deserted Island

Duan Yi opened his eyes without warning.

There was no transition between his unconsciousness and full awareness; he simply snapped awake.

His head throbbed, and for a moment, his mind was a blank slate, as if his memories had been forcibly extracted.

During the three days he had been asleep, a typhoon had quietly made landfall on Zhoushan Island, bringing torrential rain that affected Hang City. The sky was thick with dark clouds, and raindrops the size of beans hammered against the windows.

Duan Yi had slept fitfully, and when he awoke, it felt as if something vital had been torn away. A dull ache lingered in his chest. He pressed his hand against his left breast, then felt an itch on his face. When he wiped it, he discovered it was covered in tear streaks.

Slightly startled, he slipped out of bed barefoot.

Stepping onto the thick wool carpet, Duan Yi walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows, yanked open the curtains, and threw open the window.

A gust of wind, heavy with rain, instantly lashed his face. The curtains billowed wildly, and lightweight objects in the room crashed to the floor.

Hearing the commotion, the nanny opened the door and exclaimed, “Madam, Shi Shi is awake!”

Immediately, Xiaoduan Mom’s voice came from the doorway. The nanny entered and closed the window, while Xiaoduan Mom pulled Duan Yi to the bedside and sat him down.

A soft, feminine hand stroked his cheek, then his shoulder, before fastening the top two buttons of his pajamas. Tears welled in Xiaoduan Mom’s eyes as she asked in a low, anxious voice, “Are you hungry? What would you like to eat?”

Duan Yi stared blankly at Xiaoduan Mom. After a long moment, he finally registered her words and replied, “I’m not hungry.”

Xiaoduan Mom wiped her face, drying her tears, and continued to gaze at Duan Yi. “Does anything else hurt?”

The nanny chimed in worriedly, “You shouldn’t work so hard studying! You can get into any university you want! Passing out during the exam scared Madam and Sir to death…”

Duan Yi’s memories seemed fragmented, slowly piecing themselves together. That’s right… I think I passed out during the exam…

“Have I been asleep for long?” Duan Yi murmured, his voice barely audible. “I’ve been feeling so sleepy lately.”

Xiaoduan Mom replied, “You’ve been asleep for three whole days. The doctor checked you over and said there’s nothing seriously wrong—just exhaustion… Oh, dear…” The young-looking mother’s eyes brimmed with tears. She choked back sobs, trying to speak in a normal voice, but her voice still trembled. “…Our baby has grown up. You’ve worked so hard…”

The hollow ache in Duan Yi’s chest grew sharper. Xiaoduan Mom took a deep breath and wiped away her tears. “Don’t scare Mom like that again, okay?”

Duan Yi nodded. The nanny said, “Madam, I’ll go prepare something for Shi Shi to eat. You should rest too—you haven’t slept properly for several nights…”

Only then did Duan Yi notice the faint dark circles under Xiaoduan Mom’s eyes—a stark contrast to her usually meticulous self-care.

He felt a pang of guilt. “Mom, you should go sleep. I can manage on my own.”

As if remembering something, he asked, “While I was out, did anyone come to visit me at home?”

“Xiao Shu and your classmates came to visit you…” Xiaoduan Mom said.

“Oh…” Duan Yi replied.

He felt like someone else should have come too, but no matter how hard he tried to remember, he couldn’t recall anyone else. Instead, a massive wave of sorrow surged from his heart, overwhelming him with a grief he didn’t know how to handle.

Xiaoduan Mom helped him lie down on the bed, leaving only a small nightlight on. The dim twilight outside made the room feel even quieter under the soft yellow glow. Xiaoduan Mom gently patted the quilt. “Do you want to sleep some more?”

Duan Yi had slept for three whole days and wasn’t tired at all. He shook his head honestly. “You go get some rest,” he said. “I’ll read for a while.”

The nanny also urged her to rest. Overwhelmed by their combined persuasion, Xiaoduan Mom finally got up and returned to her own room.

Only after the nanny and Xiaoduan Mom had left did Duan Yi truly feel alone.

An inexplicable sense of grievance filled his chest. He threw himself onto the bed, rolled around a couple of times, and wondered what he was so upset about.

A sudden thought popped into his head: Why didn’t he come to see me?

But then he immediately felt confused: Who should have come to see me?

I’ve been like this for days, sleeping for so long. Why didn’t I see him when I woke up?

See who?

Duan Yi splayed his fingers, feeling a suffocating tightness in his chest.

He turned to his side, and tears began to roll down his cheeks without warning, surprising even himself.

He wiped them away repeatedly, but they kept flowing, the urge to cry growing stronger. Finally, unable to resist, he clutched the blanket and wept bitterly.

The boy’s intermittent sobs seemed to be recalling something, his voice choked with emotion, each cry strained and exhausted.

When he finally cried himself out, his sobs gradually subsided, and he drifted back to sleep.

The next morning, the rain outside had eased slightly.

Duan Yi’s head remained foggy. The doctor had checked on him earlier, declaring him fully recovered with no lingering issues.

By noon, Duan Yi was insisting on going to school.

He didn’t know why he wanted to go—anything was better than staying home.

At school… it felt like he might see someone?

“President Duan!”

Around one o’clock that afternoon, Duan Yi returned to school.

Pingtou, who was on duty that day, had just finished cleaning their assigned area. Standing in the hallway, he spotted Duan Yi and waved hello.

Hearing the voice, Jiang Wangshu hurried out of the classroom. Duan Yi sat listlessly at his desk, his backpack slung over his shoulder.

Hao Shanshan leaned in and said, “Are you feeling better? You scared us to death the other day.”

Jiang Wangshu asked, “What did your family doctor say? Did they still say there’s nothing wrong with you?”

Abbot, Xiaobang, Fang Yun, and Bookworm crowded around, offering their concern.

Duan Yi answered each of them, then glanced around the group before suddenly asking, “Did anyone in our class call in sick today?”

“No, everyone’s here except you,” Jiang Wangshu replied. “Why do you ask?”

Duan Yi’s expression turned strange for a moment, and he said in a voice that even he couldn’t quite describe, “…It’s nothing.”

The warning bell rang, and everyone returned to their seats.

Duan Yi hung his backpack on the back of his chair and instinctively looked to his right—the window seat. It was empty, completely bare.

Jiang Wangshu turned his head. “This is physics class. They’re probably going over the exam. Did you bring your test paper? If not, we can share mine… What are you looking at?”

Duan Yi raised an eyebrow, noticing Duan Yi staring intently at an empty desk and chair.

The seat was next to Duan Yi’s, by the window.

Duan Yi casually asked, “Is anyone sitting here?”

Jiang Wangshu chuckled. “Did you sleep your brain into a daze? No one’s ever sat there.”

But Duan Yi felt differently. He was convinced someone had occupied that seat before, whoever it was… there had definitely been someone there.

The emptiness of the desk and chair felt profoundly wrong.

Only when Bei-ge, the physics teacher, stood at the podium did Duan Yi’s gaze finally shift.

“Jiang Wangshu, compare your exam paper with Duan Yi’s. Give me your paper.” This meant Bei-ge wanted to use Jiang Wangshu’s paper as an example.

Duan Yi blurted out, “Why is your paper going to Bei-ge?”

Jiang Wangshu handed his paper to Bei-ge. “I’ve always given him mine.”

No, that’s not right…

A voice in Duan Yi’s mind protested.

It wasn’t like this before…

Jiang Wangshu wasn’t particularly strong in physics. There must have been another student in the class who excelled in the subject.

But who…?

Jiang Wangshu said, “Fang Yun didn’t do well on the exam and has cried twice already.”

Bei-ge, who was busy comforting everyone, announced some good news: “Not bad this time! Our class got fifth in the city. Jiang Wangshu, stand up and let everyone see you.”

Jiang Wangshu, usually thick-skinned, blushed and gave an embarrassed smile.

Duan Yi spoke up, “No one got first in the city? Didn’t our class have the top student before?”

Hang City’s top student, who also ranked first in the province, had come from Second High School. Duan Yi remembered seeing their name in bold letters on the school’s bulletin board, praising their achievement.

Duan Yi clearly remembered who he had gone to see the announcement with, but the memory drifted away like the wind, as if it had appeared beside him or been part of a dream…

Unexpectedly, Bei-ge chuckled. “First place? Duan Yi, you’re quite ambitious. Why don’t you work hard and aim for first place yourself?”

Hao Shanshan whispered, “President Duan, when has Second High School ever gotten first place? First place is always taken by students from First High School, and that school in the neighboring city…”

Duan Yi stubbornly insisted, “No, I don’t think so…” But seeing the others’ unwavering expressions, he began to doubt himself. “Did I remember it wrong?”

Jiang Wangshu touched Duan Yi’s forehead. “Are you still half-asleep? Haven’t fully woken up yet?”

Duan Yi shook his head, his gaze drifting back to the empty seat by the window, where it lingered, lost in thought.

The rain had eased slightly by evening self-study, but the typhoon’s impact remained strong. The broadcast repeatedly warned students to return to their dorms immediately after class and avoid wandering around the school grounds.

Duan Yi remained distracted all day, constantly glancing at the empty desk and chair by the window whenever he had a spare moment. His frequent glances eventually caught the attention of the Old Class Teacher.

As the Old Class Teacher left after evening self-study, he instructed, “The students on cleaning duty tonight should move that empty desk by the window to the back of the room. It’s blocking the aisle.”

Even as he spoke, the Old Class Teacher found the situation odd. When did that desk get there? How have I never noticed it before?

Duan Yi reacted strongly to this suggestion, as if possessed by a ghost. He adamantly refused to let anyone move the empty desk and chair.

Pingtou and Abbot exchanged glances before giving up on arguing with Duan Yi. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, Pingtou said, “President Duan, you should head back early. The rain’s going to get heavier soon.”

He pulled out an extra umbrella from his bag. “Take this one. Just return it later.”

Jiang Wangshu thanked him and turned to Duan Yi. “Let’s go, Duan Bao. How long are you planning to sit here?”

Duan Yi finally relented, though reluctantly. “Just promise no one will move these desks.”

Jiang Wangshu chuckled. “Fine, you can have both seats to yourself. Come on, let’s go downstairs. I’ll treat you to dried fish snacks at the supermarket.”

Hooking his arm around Duan Yi’s shoulder, Jiang Wangshu suddenly remarked, “Why does it feel like it’s been ages since we walked back to the dorm together?”

Duan Yi had been thinking the same thing, but his memory insisted they always walked back together. They shared a dorm room, sat at the same desk, and were best friends. If he didn’t walk back with Jiang Wangshu, who else would he walk back with?

Jiang Wangshu opened the umbrella, and they walked side by side.

The downpour was so heavy that Duan Yi instantly lost all desire to walk. The words blurted out of his mouth: “Carry me.”

He turned to see Jiang Wangshu’s astonished expression, and the smile on Duan Yi’s face froze. A strong feeling surged through him: This wasn’t meant for Jiang Wangshu.

Jiang Wangshu was utterly bewildered. After a long pause, he said, “Fine, I’ll carry you. I haven’t carried you since sixth grade. Why this strange request tonight?”

Duan Yi stood dumbfounded under the umbrella in the torrential rain. Jiang Wangshu had already crouched down, urging him, “Hurry up! If we get back too late, there won’t be any hot water for showers…”

Jiang Wangshu turned his head. “Duan Yi?”

Duan Yi…

Duan Yi?

Duan Yi!

Jiang Wangshu’s voice seemed to change.

Duan Yi heard a cold, clear boy’s voice in his ear.

“Duan Yi,” the voice said, with a hint of mockery. “Pig, hurry up and get on.”

Jiang Wangshu stood up and patted the dazed Duan Yi. “Duan…”

Suddenly, Duan Yi shoved the umbrella into Jiang Wangshu’s hands, lowered his head, and silently charged into the downpour.

Jiang Wangshu was left completely dumbfounded by Duan Yi’s sudden departure. When he finally realized the brat had vanished without even a trace, he blurted out, “Holy shit!”

“Hey, kid! Use the umbrella, for God’s sake! Duan Yi—!”

Duan Yi didn’t even know where he was running.

Rain lashed his face and soaked him to the bone, chilling him to the core.

By the time he came to his senses, he was standing at Pingtou’s dorm room door, his chest heaving from the frantic sprint.

Pingtou had just finished showering. Steam billowed from the open bathroom door, filling the room with mist. Dressed only in loose shorts, he spotted Duan Yi standing at the entrance.

“Holy crap!” Pingtou jumped back in surprise, hastily opened the door, and threw on a T-shirt. “Did you come to return the umbrella?”

The typhoon intensified that night, turning the white birch trees outside the dorm into a roaring spectacle.

Pingtou stared at Duan Yi, drenched to the bone, and panicked. He grabbed a clean towel and wrapped it around Duan Yi’s head, awkwardly asking, “President Duan, did you need something?”

Duan Yi was still struggling to catch his breath.

He hadn’t consciously chosen to come here; his instincts had simply led him to Pingtou’s dorm room.

Duan Yi stared blankly at Pingtou, who grew increasingly embarrassed under the intense gaze. Pingtou scratched his head, about to say something, when he saw tears streaming down Duan Yi’s face.

“Holy shit!” Pingtou was genuinely alarmed this time.

Duan Yi’s tears fell without warning, splattering onto the ground.

Realizing this wasn’t a good look, he frantically wiped his face with his arm, trying to mop up the runaway tears.

But the more he wiped, the more tears flowed, and the more heartbroken he felt. Duan Yi didn’t even know why he was standing outside Pingtou’s dorm, crying.

He was just overwhelmed by sadness, a feeling that had been building since he woke up. Here, it finally erupted.

He had a premonition that he had lost something incredibly important.

He didn’t even know what it was.

Yet Duan Yi instinctively felt he should be devastated, in agony. And indeed, that’s exactly how he felt.

Pingtou stammered, “Uh, President Duan… are you under too much pressure? You did great on the First Mock Exam… over 500 points! You even solved those tricky questions the Chairman couldn’t figure out…”

Pingtou wanted to add, I wonder what kind of tutoring Duan Yi’s been getting? His progress is practically miraculous, like he’s been getting daily one-on-one coaching.

And his problem-solving approaches are often brilliant, the kind you’d never expect him to come up with.

But Jiang Wangshu was the top student in their class, the best Duan Yi knew. If Jiang Wangshu couldn’t solve a problem, who could?

Pingtou tried to reassure him, “I know everyone’s under a lot of pressure. Hey, why don’t you ask Jiang Wangshu for tutoring? You two are close, right? He got first place in the class this time—the first student in our school’s history to score over 710…”

“No,” Duan Yi suddenly blurted out, his first words, his voice choked with sobs from crying so hard, making him sound utterly pitiful. “No… no… it’s not true…”

Pingtou had never made a girl cry before, so he didn’t know how he was supposed to feel when a girl cried. But right now, he felt pretty much the same.

Terrified, he stood frozen in place, too scared to move.

He couldn’t understand what he’d done to upset Duan Yi so badly. Flustered, he blurted out without thinking, “No—no, not first! Right! Jiang Wangshu isn’t first, okay! He’s second! He’s second!”

Pingtou’s two other roommates suggested, “Why don’t you let Duan Yi come in and change? His coat is soaked, and it’s pretty cold outside.”

Even though it was almost May, the weather remained unpredictable.

Sometimes it would drop to seven or eight degrees Celsius, while other times it would soar to over thirty.

Remembering Duan Yi’s recent collapse in class, Pingtou worried he might catch a cold and brought him into the dorm.

Even inside, Duan Yi couldn’t stop crying.

Part of him felt ashamed, but another part reasoned that since he’d already lost all dignity, what did it matter if he cried more?

He’d been crying on and off since last night, his eyes aching and his sockets ringed with red.

Duan Yi knew he wasn’t a crier, let alone someone prone to these inexplicable urges to weep.

He sensed his own abnormality but couldn’t stop it.

The world suddenly felt strange and unfamiliar.

He didn’t know why he was sad; he only felt that the world was vast and he was insignificant.

Pingtou poured Duan Yi a cup of hot water and gestured for him to sit on the bed.

“This bed’s empty. You can sit here for now.”

Duan Yi’s gaze fell on the bare bed across from Pingtou’s—clean, without blankets or personal belongings, as if it had never been occupied.

Yet under the harsh fluorescent light, he could almost see the hazy figure of a young man propping his chin in his hand, his small tiger teeth peeking out, both aloof and endearing, half-heartedly working on his homework.

Pingtou asked cautiously, “President Duan, are you alright?”

Duan Yi nodded and sat blankly on the edge of the empty bed.

Pingtou pushed the hot water closer. “Drink this first. I’ll ask the Chairman to bring your clothes over so you can change. Or you can go back to your dorm… Ah, I don’t mean to rush you out. It’s just that we only have one empty bed here…”

Before he could finish speaking, Pingtou noticed Duan Yi holding a water cup, large tears falling into the hot water. Soon, even the water turned bitter.

Though Pingtou had never seen Duan Yi like this, watching him cry made him feel strangely melancholic.

It was as if…

Something was missing from his side?

Duan Yi set down the cup and murmured, “Can I sleep here for a while?”

“Huh?” Pingtou replied.

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Duan Yi said. “I’ll just sleep for a bit…”

Without taking off his shoes, he slowly lay down on the empty bed.

Then he turned his back, curled up, leaving only his hunched figure visible to Pingtou and the others.

When Jiang Wangshu arrived, his footsteps gradually slowed as he approached the door of Room 306, a set of clean clothes in his hand.

From his vantage point, Jiang Wangshu could see Duan Yi’s shoulders trembling uncontrollably, the boy’s stifled sobs coming in ragged bursts.

Jiang Wangshu sat on the edge of the bed for a while, doing nothing, before gently draping the clean clothes over Duan Yi’s curled-up form.

The young man on the bed remained silent, still curled up.

His hands were clasped over his chest, his teeth gently biting his thumb.

His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed deeply, as if he were exerting all his strength to suppress a wail.

His body trembled uncontrollably.

Tears streamed down his nose, forming tiny rivulets that dampened the stiff bedboards.

He didn’t cry out loud, yet his silent weeping was more heartbreaking than any anguished sob.

Jiang Wangshu’s voice was filled with concern. “Duan Yi…”

Duan Yi’s voice, strained as if squeezed through clenched teeth, came out in a choked whisper. “I’m fine…”

His voice trembled violently, even hiccuping through his tears. “I just need to sleep for a while… I’m a little… I’m a little tired…”

Why am I in pain? he thought.

Why am I so sad?

Almost in despair, he realized: I think I’ve lost someone very important.