What's Wrong with This Alpha? - Extra 15

Chapter 116 – Extra 15: School Beauty’s Secret Love Diary (1)

“Are you really going to Second High School?” Mother Sheng held the report card, her brow furrowed as she scanned it again and again, muttering to herself, “The principal of First High School called me. She wants to come over this afternoon to talk to you.”

Sheng Yunze sat cross-legged on the sofa, a Want Want Crushed Ice stick dangling from his lips as he played a game without looking up. “Tell her I’m busy. I’m going out this afternoon.”

Sheng Yunxi, a lollipop sticking out of her mouth, lay sprawled across his lap, playing her own handheld game. The siblings were locked in a fierce virtual battle projected onto the wall.

Annoyed by his sister, Sheng Yunze abruptly lifted his leg, snapping, “Get off!”

Sheng Yunxi’s head slammed against the sofa, drawing a sharp gasp of pain. Her character in the game died instantly. Sheng Yunze smirked, mocking her.

Seeing Sheng Yunze lounging on the sofa in his slippers again, Mother Sheng rolled up the report card and swatted him. “Get your feet down!”

“No way,” Sheng Yunze retorted, squeezing the last bit of Crushed Ice into his mouth. After finishing, he leaped off the sofa and clomped upstairs in his slippers, making a racket.

Mother Sheng muttered, “Why is he so disobedient…”

Sheng Yunze was fourteen years old.

His father worked for a government agency and was rarely home.

At home, his mother alternated between being a full-time housewife and teaching at school.

He also had a twin sister, Sheng Yunxi, who was studying abroad and returned every summer to annoy him. Sheng Yunze couldn’t stand her.

The main reason was their striking resemblance.

During middle school, Sheng Yunze and his sister looked like they’d been carved from the same mold. Now, with their secondary sexual characteristics still developing and both being Alphas, they were practically indistinguishable.

If he cut his hair short, even their own mother might struggle to tell them apart.

As a result, Sheng Yunze, who had been nicknamed “Kindergarten Flower” since preschool, became “Class Flower” in elementary school and “School Beauty” in middle school. Now, the title seemed determined to follow him to high school.

Even before he’d enrolled at Second High School, school forums in Hang City were already buzzing with speculation about whether he’d choose First High School or the nearby Experimental School.

Returning to his room, Sheng Yunze checked his phone and found the forums filled with the same trivial nonsense.

After scrolling for a while, he scoffed dismissively, cranked the air conditioner down to a mother-panic-inducing 17 degrees Celsius, and rebelliously flopped onto his bed.

If his classmates, who called him the “High Mountain Flower” at school, could see this childish and slovenly side of him, their worldviews would surely shatter.

In reality, Sheng Yunze was just a bit of a chuunibyou. At school, he was aloof and taciturn, burdened by his idol image. But at home, he let loose with a vengeance.

After all, he was only fourteen.

He was far smarter than other kids, having been called a genius since childhood.

This genius had looked down on the snot-nosed toddlers in kindergarten, dividing the world into “me” and “other idiots.” He maintained this disdain for his classmates all the way through middle school.

Though Sheng Yunze never voiced it, he harbored a touch of pretentious superiority. Combined with the fact that middle school is the peak age for chuunibyou among young boys—

Just moments ago, Comrade Sheng Yunze had been engrossed in a video game. Now, gazing at the sky outside, he suddenly felt melancholic and yearned for a cup of dark, intensely bitter, sugar-free black coffee from Costa Rica, a republic in southern Central America.

He didn’t know why he wanted coffee from such a remote place, nor why it had to be so bitter and pure.

He just felt it would make him seem cooler than his peers.

When people do things they don’t understand, they often find it romantic.

Adults are like that too.

I’m an adult too, middle schooler Sheng Yunze thought.

The “adult’s” skateboard leaned against his desk, a limited-edition autographed basketball sat in the cabinet, the desk was piled high with homework and exam papers, and a massive astronomical telescope stood by the floor-to-ceiling window…

Then he climbed onto the bed without taking off his shoes—an adult would never climb onto the bed without taking off their shoes.

Sheng Yunze lay on the bed for a while, with nothing to do.

His High School Entrance Examination scores were as perfect as the answer key. As soon as they were released, teachers from various school Admissions Offices, and even principals, came to his house to recruit him.

The Sheng family’s doorstep was practically worn flat.

But he couldn’t care less about it.

Sheng Yunze rolled over on the bed and idly logged into Koukou.

He received at least fifty friend requests a day, but he couldn’t even be bothered to look at them, rejecting them all outright.

They were all the same: “Senior, I really like you! Can we get to know each other?” “Senior, I’m XXX from Attached Middle School’s first year…” “Junior, have you decided which high school you’re going to?”

There were even more outlandish ones: “Brother, is that you? I’m your long-lost sister!” “I saw your Koukou ID on the forum. Can you accept my request?” “Do you have a girlfriend?” “Can you be my boyfriend? I’m very pretty.”

He closed the friends list and returned to the latest messages.

Sheng Yunze had very few Koukou friends. Besides his classmates, there were only a few people he knew from clubs.

Even so, every day, countless men and women, alphas, betas, and omegas, sent him “good morning” and “good night” messages, showering him with attention.

The top messages were from several female classmates and a few omegas asking which school he planned to attend. Sheng Yunze didn’t want to waste time typing replies, so he responded with a mental command. Then, his thumb hovered over the pinned chat window, and he froze, as if someone had pressed the pause button on his life.

He hesitated.

A faint mix of nervousness and anticipation stirred within him.

Yes, this Sheng Yunze—the School Idol Sheng, the High Mountain Flower, the comrade who had always been the one rejecting others, who had never experienced romantic setbacks, and who was practically unapproachable—

Even at the tender age of fourteen or fifteen, when his heart first began to stir, he had inevitably fallen into the cliché of a secret, unrequited crush known only to himself.

Anyone who knew him would likely drop their jaw in disbelief if they heard that Sheng Yunze had ever harbored a secret crush on someone.

Sheng Yunze was notoriously aloof and difficult to deal with. Forget about having a secret crush—even a proper relationship seemed impossible!

Beyond his cold demeanor, he was also incredibly proud. In other words, his ego was particularly strong for his age.

Sheng Yunze, who divided humanity into “me” and “other idiots,” was the epitome of arrogant.

Imagine him humbling himself with a secret crush?

He’d have better luck dreaming!

Yet, in reality, Sheng Yunze was genuinely troubled by this one-sided affection.

His thumb hovered over the pinned chat box for a long time.

The Koukou account was named “Little Duan is Hungry,” with the signature: “National First-Class Retreating Drum Performance Artist.”

This “Little Duan is Hungry” comrade changed his Koukou name frequently. When Sheng Yunze checked earlier that morning, it had been “Little Duan Will Never Get Up.”

As for Sheng Yunze’s feelings… that’s a long story.

It all started during the High School Entrance Examination. He and this “Little Duan” were in the same building, and Sheng Yunze had caught several glimpses of him. After the exam, he even snuck into the other’s testing room to check his exam number and name.

Duan Yi, a student from Class One of Third Grade at Caihe Middle School.

Their first encounter had been accidental, but the subsequent two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight glances were all deliberate attempts to “bump into” him.

Unfortunately, the other boy had never given him a proper look.

Duan Yi was always busy with various things: buying snacks at the school store, comparing answers with friends, getting milk tea at the school gate—his whereabouts were unpredictable.

Sheng Yunze hastily finished his exam paper and rushed to the balcony near the exam hall, pretending to admire the scenery while waiting for Duan Yi to emerge and glance his way.

But two out of three times, his efforts were in vain.

The taste of waiting and longing was bitter, leaving him feeling gloomy for days.

He was experiencing the first pangs of love’s torment.

Their entire communication consisted of just three messages:

1. The system’s automated message when Sheng Yunze finally managed to add Duan Yi as a friend on the school forum through a convoluted series of steps: You are now friends.
2. Duan Yi’s reply: Who are you?

Sheng Yunze didn’t dare respond, and thankfully, Duan Yi didn’t press the issue.

3. In June, when the system notified Sheng Yunze of Duan Yi’s birthday, he tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. The next morning, filled with nervous anticipation and a strange sweetness, he nervously sent Duan Yi a virtual rose.

The system confirmed that Duan Yi had received the gift.

Duan Yi didn’t reply.

Nor could he have.

After adding Duan Yi on Koukou, Sheng Yunze scrolled through all 1,000+ of Duan Yi’s posts, from beginning to end.

He knew which elementary school Duan Yi had attended, the neighborhood where he lived, his favorite arcade, what he liked to eat and drink, and who his close friends were.

Of course, he also knew that Duan Yi wasn’t single.

The thought made Sheng Yunze’s heart ache with a dull, suffocating pain.

He knew early romance was all the rage these days, and countless people had confessed their feelings to him.

Just because he wasn’t interested in dating didn’t mean others weren’t.

Duan Yi had an undeniably cute face, soft and fair-skinned.

His figure was well-proportioned and youthful, his hair a slightly brownish hue, and his eyes a light shade. When he smiled, they curved like crescent moons.

It was no surprise someone like him was in a relationship.

A quick glance at Duan Yi’s Space revealed that his boyfriend attended the same school, even the same class.

Aside from Jiang Wangshu (or something like that), a persistent middle schooler who always seemed to be hovering around Duan Yi—apparently his childhood friend—the most irritating person was Duan Yi’s boyfriend, Nan Yi. He was tall (though not as tall as Sheng Yunze, nor as handsome—a crucial point Sheng Yunze had to emphasize). (And not as academically accomplished either—an additional detail Student Sheng considered equally important.)

In his Space, Duan Yi occasionally shared funny GIFs, posted a few photos, and even included some pictures with Nan Yi.

Whenever Duan Yi posted about his daily life, Sheng Yunze would secretly like the post, only to quietly unlike it two hours later.

If Duan Yi’s post involved Nan Yi, Sheng Yunze would simply ignore it, frantically scrolling past it before meticulously studying his horoscope.

The horoscope predicted an unexpected encounter between Virgo and Sagittarius this month.

Sheng Yunze found this prediction quite satisfactory.

He glanced at Duan Yi’s recent post, which included a photo of his report card and his acceptance letter from Second High School.

Sheng Yunze saved the image of the acceptance letter and examined it repeatedly. (He had previously saved all of Duan Yi’s photos, ruthlessly cropping out any parts that included Nan Yi or Jiang Wangshu.)

He pressed his phone against his chest, his mood buoyant.

In just two months, they would be attending the same high school.

September arrived, and Hangzhou Second High School finally opened its doors for the new term.

Duan Yi arrived for registration with Jiang Wangshu. The lingering summer heat was stifling, and Duan Yi, citing the unbearable heat, bought two ice pops along the way. He even pressured Jiang Wangshu into fanning him with a small electric fan.

After arriving at Second High School, Duan Yi’s portable fan completely gave out. Unable to borrow a power bank, he could only squat under a large tree for shade.

Originally, Xiaoduan Mom had wanted to arrange for a driver to accompany Duan Yi, but Xiaoduan Dad insisted that since he was already a high school student, he should be able to handle registration himself. “If he can’t even do this, what will he ever accomplish?” he scoffed, promptly bundling Duan Yi and his luggage together and tossing them out the door.

Second High School required boarding students to collect their bedding and toiletries from the logistics department on the first day of registration. Duan Yi’s backpack contained only snacks and exam papers—the latter had been sent home along with the admission notice, as the school required incoming First-Year students to complete advance review work during the last summer vacation before high school.

Of course, Duan Yi had simply copied all his answers from Jiang Wangshu’s papers, never bothering to think for himself.

The school gate buzzed with activity as bicycles, electric scooters, and family cars jostled for space, creating a cacophony of horns and shouting. The din included people asking for directions, security guards barking orders, Duty Teachers guiding new students, and former middle school classmates excitedly reuniting at the Second High School gate.

Duan Yi told Jiang Wangshu to go ahead and collect their dormitory keys, since they were definitely going to room together. He, meanwhile, held his admission notice over his head, trying to block out some of the sun.

In this sweltering heat, with crowds of people moving in the same direction like sardines, Duan Yi felt a surge of relief. Thank goodness Second High School mandated everyone spray inhibitor, he thought.

Especially at the school entrance, Duty Teachers were stationed to spray inhibitor on every student and parent before they could enter.

Duan Yi followed the crowd, intending to check the class assignments first.

Along the way, girls in short skirts and shorts chattered excitedly, their faces flushed—whether from excitement or the sun, he couldn’t tell—as they shielded themselves with parasols.

“Seriously?!” one girl’s voice rose eight octaves. “You mean Sheng Yunze is coming to Second High School?”

“Yeah, have you seen the Attached Middle School’s forum? It’s blowing up!”

“If you don’t believe me, check Second High School’s website. They’ve already put Sheng Yunze on the honor roll…”

“Of course! He got a perfect score on the High School Entrance Examination! It’s terrifying…”

“Holy crap, why would he come to Second High School?”

“Second High School is great too! It’s a top-tier school, you know!”

“Coming to Second High School is perfect! I’ll finally get to see him in person… I’ve only heard about him for three years of middle school… It’s all because our school was so far from Attached Middle School…”

“You smell so good! Did you put on perfume?”

“No, I just applied sunscreen. This one has built-in inhibitor, so I don’t need to use separate inhibitor spray anymore. It’s endorsed by Duan Shaoheng, costs over a hundred…”

Duan Yi accidentally overheard a few snippets of their conversation.

Everything else was fine, but the girls kept mentioning someone named “Sheng Yunze.”

He sounded like a new student at Second High School, just like him. Why were they talking about him like he was some kind of legend? Was he really that popular?

Duan Yi was curious, but the day grew too hot, and he quickly forgot about it. He dismissed it as just another passing conversation.

Finally squeezing through the crowd to the bulletin board, Duan Yi hugged his backpack to his chest and began reading from the left.

Name… Student ID… Class…

Third Year Class 1… Sheng Yunze…

Sheng Yunze?

The name suddenly felt familiar.

He glanced at the student ID: a bold, arrogant “001” at the top.

The second-place student was Jiang Wangshu. Duan Yi scanned down through over twenty names before finally spotting his own.

“Third Year… Class One,” Duan Yi murmured. “So I’m in the same class as this Sheng Yunze?”

What he didn’t expect was the sudden stiffness in the boy beside him when he heard the name.

Caught off guard, Duan Yi was bumped by a girl to his right, involuntarily leaning into the young man’s arms. Losing his balance, he nearly fell.

The young man steadied him, and Duan Yi turned his head. “Thanks, Brother… s.”

The last two words came out hesitantly.

Duan Yi didn’t want to admit it, but he was genuinely stunned by the young man’s face.

For the first time, he understood what it meant for someone to be so handsome that it made his heart race.

How can someone be this ridiculously good-looking? Duan Yi thought to himself, noting that the young man was at least half a head taller than him.

Just as he was about to thank him and ask his name, Jiang Wangshu’s voice rang out: “Baozi! Where are you?! Did you check which class we’re in? Are we in the same one?”

Duan Yi turned back. “Class One, just Class One. Did you get your keys?”

“Yeah, I got them. I’m going straight to the dorm after paying the fees to get settled in. There’s so much stuff to collect…”

Duan Yi squeezed past him. “Okay, I’ll head out first. Oh, by the way—”

He turned back to look for the young man, but he had already disappeared.

Jiang Wangshu tilted his head, sweat glistening on his neck. “What are you staring at?”

“I just saw a guy. He was so handsome,” Duan Yi replied.

Jiang Wangshu scoffed. “Since when did you start caring about how handsome guys are? Aren’t you supposed to be the most handsome guy in the world?”

“Well, then he’s definitely second!” Duan Yi retorted.

As he walked beside Jiang Wangshu, Duan Yi couldn’t help but wonder: Is he a student from our school?

The young man’s face kept flashing through Duan Yi’s mind.

Humans really are visual creatures, he thought. I only glanced at him, but I can’t stop thinking about him.

It felt like a hook was lodged in his heart, tugging and scratching at his chest.

There wasn’t anything particularly striking about him, Duan Yi thought strangely. I just want to see him again.

It wasn’t until much later that Duan Yi understood the meaning of this restless longing.

By then, he and Sheng Yunze had been together for a long time.

Suddenly remembering their first meeting in high school, Duan Yi declared with mock solemnity, “This is what they call love at first sight!” Sheng Yunze scoffed at him with a smile.

Sheng Yunze mercilessly exposed him: “You were just smitten by my looks, weren’t you?”

Duan Yi jabbed Sheng Yunze with his mechanical pencil, furious. “Can’t you ever shut up?! We’re breaking up!”

Sheng Yunze ignored him, used to Duan Yi’s constant threats of breaking up. He casually reminded Duan Yi, “Weren’t you still dating Nan Yi back then?”

Duan Yi was speechless. “We broke up ages ago! You just never asked, so I didn’t mention it!”

Bringing up this topic would inevitably lead to another absurd misunderstanding.