But… blaming him for what?
Could he really have accidentally bumped into him?
That night, Zhou Le was so worried that he replayed the events at the stall in his mind but found nothing out of the ordinary.
Just to be safe, he messaged Lu Jingran on WeChat.
Zhou Le: [Class Rep, are you home yet?]
Zhou Le: [Thanks again to you, Chen Nan, and Sheng Qian today.]
Zhou Le: [You all worked hard. I was in such a rush to get home that I had to leave quickly, but maybe over the weekend, when you guys aren’t busy, I could treat you to a meal~~]
Zhou Le: [*Bear with hopeful face*]
He waited a long time, but there was no reply from Lu Jingran.
Zhou Le felt a bit down.
They had earned over 4,000 yuan today, but he wasn’t happy at all for some reason.
And whenever he thought of Lu Jingran’s distant look at the end, he felt even worse.
After his shower, lying in bed, he was still waiting for a message from Lu Jingran.
He held his phone until he drifted off to sleep.
The first thing he did when he woke up the next morning was to check WeChat.
Finally, there it was—a reply from Lu Jingran!
Lu Jingran: “Alright.”
With his messy hair, Zhou Le sat up in bed and read that single word over and over, smiling with satisfaction.
Lu Jingran wasn’t mad at him, nor was he blaming him for anything. Yesterday must have just been a misunderstanding.
The gloom in his heart disappeared instantly. He jumped out of bed and went to wash up, feeling so energized that going to school didn’t seem so tough after all.
His mother, Cheng Ying, noticed the smile on her son’s face that morning and couldn’t help but ask, “What’s the good news? You seem especially happy today.”
Zhou Le felt the same way—it was as if his life suddenly seemed full of hope and energy.
“Oh, nothing much, Mom. Last night, I made quite a bit at the stall; it’s enough to cover our living expenses for the next two months.”
Cheng Ying was also surprised. “That much?”
Zhou Le: “Yeah! Hehe.”
“Though… I might have to spend a bit of it. My classmates helped me out a lot, and I want to treat them to a nice meal sometime.”
Cheng Ying didn’t object. “Well, don’t go for anything too cheap. Take them somewhere good—at least somewhere like Uncle Zhou’s place.”
Uncle Zhou ran a small restaurant, with fair pricing, and his signature dish, crystal pork, cost only around 70 or 80 yuan. It was popular, the chef was skilled, and many customers returned for more, so ordering from there wouldn’t look cheap.
“Sure, Mom. I’ll check with Uncle Zhou tonight to see if he has any tables available soon.”
—
On his way to school, it was rare for Zhou Le to run into Chen Nan and Sheng Qian. It was almost like a ghost sighting.
After all, the two usually arrived by private car, and pretty late at that, arriving right when school was starting, with barely anyone on the street.
“Morning!” Zhou Le greeted them cheerfully.
In the past, he might have avoided them, but after spending more time together, he felt they weren’t so distant.
“Morning, my foot,” Chen Nan replied sourly.
Sheng Qian also seemed annoyed just looking at him.
Zhou Le: ???
They were all buddies out making money yesterday—how had they changed so much today?
With his bag slung over one shoulder, Chen Nan strode over, chin raised. “Yesterday, you’re the one who let Liu Yanyan get in the car, aren’t you?”
Zhou Le: “Uh… I just suggested it…”
Chen Nan: “Suggested my foot! What kind of suggestion was that?!”
The atmosphere in the car last night had been like ice.
Liu Yanyan sat up front and tried to make small talk, but only Sheng Qian had been polite enough to exchange a few words. Meanwhile, Lu Jingran had looked like a storm cloud, and Chen Nan could practically smell his pheromones.
It was like sitting on pins and needles!
All because of one thing: “What made you think it was a good idea to let the miss get in the car?!”
Zhou Le was clueless, a bit stunned.
Why was Chen Nan so worked up?
“Is there…something wrong with Liu Yanyan?” Zhou Le asked, looking puzzled. “I thought the class rep was pretty happy.”
Chen Nan: ???
Sheng Qian rolled his eyes.
Chen Nan grabbed Zhou Le’s face, gritting his teeth. “Do you have some kind of eye problem? How about getting them checked out?!”
“They’re almost going to go blind!”
“Are you seriously telling me you thought he looked happy?!”
Zhou Le, with puffed-out cheeks, struggled to answer, his voice muffled, “It was the class rep who said she could get in, (not me)…”
It had indeed been Lu Jingran’s agreement that allowed Liu Yanyan into the car.
Chen Nan, frustrated, let go of Zhou Le.
Rubbing his sore face, Zhou Le felt a little wronged. “I just thought the class rep and Liu Yanyan seemed good together…”
Sheng Qian: “I think you should stop thinking that.”
Zhou Le: “…”
As they walked toward the classroom, Sheng Qian suddenly stopped.
Chen Nan noticed first and turned around. “What is it?”
Sheng Qian didn’t answer, but he was staring at something behind them.
In the crowded hallway, where students in blue-and-white uniforms milled about, the dean, Old Feng, was standing around the corner with a red armband, catching latecomers with some members of the student council nearby. Across from them was the school fence, and just outside it…
A pair of snake-like eyes. Even from a distance, their vicious gaze was palpable.
Sheng Qian’s suspicion was confirmed—it was Gao Jian.
He’d released his Alpha pheromones.
Not everyone would pick up on it, but Sheng Qian could sense it instantly.
A foul, sandalwood scent that made him feel nauseous.
Just a glance was enough to bring out any Alpha’s violent instincts. He had that effect on people.
“What are you looking at?” Chen Nan followed his gaze, and his face hardened instantly.
Zhou Le, clueless as to why their expressions had changed, curiously looked over but was quickly turned away by Chen Nan. “Where is there a place for you? Don’t look and go inside.”
Chen Nan wrapped an arm around Zhou Le, steering him away.
Sheng Qian took a few steps back, keeping his eyes on Gao Jian.
After a moment, he narrowed his eyes.
Gao Jian was smiling at him.
A smile completely devoid of warmth.
And Sheng Qian wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, but it seemed like Gao Jian’s attention was more on Chen Nan as he walked away, or maybe on Zhou Le beside him?
—
Xu Yue entered the classroom with her teaching materials, but instead of starting the lesson, she made an announcement.
“I wanted to let you know about the upcoming city-wide chemistry experiment competition scheduled for late April. We have to select three representative teams within the next two weeks, and there’s prize money. Just making it to the competition level as a school representative will earn you 20,000 yuan, even without placing.”
“Wow!” The room immediately buzzed with excitement.
“20,000 yuan! Each team has four people, so that’s at least 5,000 per person. If we place in the city competition, the minimum prize is 100,000 yuan, which means 20,000 each!”
“No way! The city is really putting down some serious money.”
“5,000 yuan? Just right, I’ve been wanting to change my phone.”
“You talk like you’ve already got this in the bag. Are you even good at chemistry?”
“Whether I am or not, we’ll find out, won’t we?”
“Are you seriously planning to sign up? With a 13-point score in chemistry?”
“Get lost! 13 points was my physics score. Besides, you just need to find a genius to carry you! I’m not a genius, but I can find one, can’t I?”
“Who’s the best at chemistry in our class?”
“The chemistry rep? Wait, no, it’s the class rep!”
“…”
“Forget it, I must be dreaming.”
“Alright, alright, quiet down!” Xu Yue knocked heavily on the blackboard. “This time, teams will represent the whole school. Each of the twelve classes in our grade can freely form teams without restrictions. The school leaders are taking this competition seriously and have even set up the third-floor classrooms in the lab building as chemistry study and discussion areas. By the end of this morning, submit your team’s roster to the class rep, Lu Jingran, for compiling.”
The students burst into animated discussions after class.
Especially around Zhou Le’s area.
Zhou Le knocked on the desk, face full of excitement. “Let’s form a team!”
Lin Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at him and continued to scroll through her idol’s social media feed.
Xia Linchuan yawned, barely keeping himself awake while playing mobile games.
Zhou Le looked at them in exasperation. “What are you two doing?! This is such a great learning opportunity—you can’t just waste it!”
Lin Xiaoxiao: “Are you sure you’re doing it for the learning?”
Zhou Le: “…”
Zhou Le: “…Of course, I’m in it for the money.”
Exactly—5,000 yuan! That’s a solid 5,000 yuan!
He banged on the desk again. “Aren’t you tempted?”
Lin Xiaoxiao: “Not really.”
Xia Linchuan: “Not interested.”
Zhou Le: “You can’t just keep slacking like this!”
Lin Xiaoxiao and Xia Linchuan: “Scram.”
Zhou Le: “…”
Zhou Le: sniffle .JPG
He tried to persuade them for ages, but no one budged.
In the end, Zhou Le had to go up to Lu Jingran, looking pitiful as he held a sign-up form. “Um… Class rep, can one person sign up alone?”
It wasn’t that he had any mystical confidence in his chemistry skills; he just wanted to give it a shot. Maybe he’d get lucky with an open team spot and match with a top student! He’d heard that a guy named Zhuo Nian from Class 2 was amazing at chemistry, always ranking first schoolwide, though a bit difficult to get along with. But Zhou Le was super easygoing!
You never know; sometimes fortune favors the bold.
Lu Jingran didn’t respond directly but took his form and looked it over.
It was Chen Nan who finally couldn’t hold back. “Seriously, you’re signing up for a competition with your highest chemistry score being a 69?”
“What are you aiming for? Last place?”
A few others chuckled.
“Zhou Le, you really do have guts.”
“Is it really open to anyone? Does that mean I can also—”
“Hold on; you’re not even as bold as Zhou Le!”
“Haha!”
Zhou Le’s face flushed bright red.
It was one thing to shamelessly attempt in private, but this was a whole different level.
He was about to take back his form and give up when, to his surprise, Lu Jingran kept it and said, “Perfect timing. Our group is one person short; you’re in.”
Zhou Le: ?
Zhou Le: ??
Zhou Le: !!!
The room went silent. No one could believe what they were hearing.
To team up with Lu Jingran? This was a surefire way to skyrocket!
“What? I don’t understand. Why? Zhou Le? What for? As a mascot?”
Zhou Le couldn’t believe it either. He stared wide-eyed. “Class rep, are you… serious?!”
This was beyond his wildest dreams.
Lu Jingran didn’t respond directly, just gave him a smile and added his form to his team.
“Welcome aboard, mascot,” Sheng Qian said with a half-hearted smile.
Chen Nan protested, “Brother Lu, you accepted him but not me? Why? Am I not your favorite anymore?”
Lu Jingran: “Be quiet.”
Chen Nan: sobs
Sheng Qian quickly added Zhou Le to the “Chemistry Experiment Team” group chat.
There were only three people in it: Lu Jingran, Sheng Qian, and Zhou Le. Just one spot left.
And sure enough, Chen Nan wasn’t in it.
It seemed the class rep was serious about the competition. But then, why choose Zhou Le as a teammate? Even picking the chemistry rep, Wang Peng, would be better.
“Lele!”
“Lele!!”
Zhou Le almost jumped from being called twice.
“Lele, for the sake of us being desk buddies for years, let me join the team with you! You know my heart for chemistry—it’s as vast as the heavens and earth. My love for it is boundless! If I don’t study chemistry for a day, I can’t sleep; I get restless and can’t sit still!”
Zhou Le: “…”
Lin Xiaoxiao was all tears and pleading.
Zhou Le gently pulled her claw-like grip off his arm and tossed it aside. “Too late.”
Once, you ignored me; now you can’t reach me. Zhou Le was as ruthless as ever.
Lin Xiaoxiao could only sit and cry on the sidelines.
Even after class started, Zhou Le still felt it was unreal. The class rep actually chose him as a teammate. He really chose him!
Zhou Le knew his own ability. He’d never been serious about studying and was really just a mediocre student. Even so, Lu Jingran still picked him, which made Zhou Le feel all warm inside.
He knew that the class rep was looking out for him. This kind of special attention, he didn’t see anyone else getting.
He didn’t know why, but the feeling that someone actually cared about him made it impossible to say no.
Zhou Le looked at the blackboard, and a slow smile crept onto his face.
—
Right before the afternoon break, Zhou Le received a WeChat message from Liu Yanyan.
Liu Yanyan: Have you heard about the chemistry team competition?
Zhou Le: Yup, I know about it.
Zhou Le: By the way, you’re good at chemistry too. You should try out—you might even place!
Now that he thought about it, Zhou Le vaguely remembered Liu Yanyan once taking first place in a chemistry test and being praised throughout the school. This competition seemed like it was practically made for her. She’d have no problem scoring a good ranking.
Liu Yanyan: [Crying.JPG]
Liu Yanyan: But I don’t have a team yet.
Zhou Le: Huh? No one in your class? That’s impossible.
Liu Yanyan: There are people, but… none of them feel right.
Not the right fit…
Before Zhou Le could understand, she continued.
Liu Yanyan: This time, we can team up across classes. I heard you’re in Lu Jingran’s team, and you’re still one member short…
Zhou Le finally got it.
Liu Yanyan wanted to join their team.
But he couldn’t decide that; he’d have to ask Lu Jingran.
Liu Yanyan: Of course, I could ask myself, but I’m a bit embarrassed. I’m afraid he’ll say no. Could you maybe sound him out for me?
Liu Yanyan: If it’s not possible, I won’t bother him.
Zhou Le: Don’t talk like that! I think the class rep actually likes you.
Liu Yanyan: Really? I’ve never felt that way.
She paused, then added: Actually, I think he’s nicer to you than to me.
Zhou Le looked at her message and thought about it. It was true—Lu Jingran was indeed quite good to him.
But…
Zhou Le: That’s different! You’re an Omega and a girl. Since the class rep’s an Alpha, things can feel a little awkward at first.
Zhou Le: But I’m a Beta, and a guy, so it’s easier for him to be natural around me.
In the end, Liu Yanyan almost started to feel confident again.
Maybe, she thought, this really was just a bit of clumsy attraction on his part. Maybe she really could look forward to something.
Liu Yanyan: I’m counting on you, Lele.
Liu Yanyan: [(❤️ ) love you]
Staring at the message, Zhou Le fell into thought.
