Had Lu Jingran really just walked away?
No hitting, no drink-throwing?
Apart from the faint trace of his scent lingering, there was almost no sign he’d even been there.
“Aaaah, the class rep is so handsome, I’m dying,” Lin Xiaoxiao said, blushing as she lay face-down on her desk, in complete swooning mode.
“Man, my legs almost gave out,” Xia Linchuan slumped into his chair, visibly relieved. He’d nearly rushed out there, mentally prepared for a confrontation of course… if Lu Jingran had made a move.
Zhou Le slowly came back to his senses, smacking his lips. “Turns out…the class rep is actually pretty nice.”
He hadn’t taken out his frustration on the messenger at all. Zhou Le had expected a fight.
And when he approached, even his pheromones had been calm—no sense of intimidation.
Lin Xiaoxiao sat up, hands on her cheeks, thrilled. “Of course! The class rep is super friendly. Last time I handed him a test sheet, he even thanked me. You have no idea, that angle—up close, he’s unbelievably handsome!”
Xia Linchuan shook his head. “Love-struck fool.”
Zhou Le hadn’t even had time to enjoy the relief of not being hit when he saw the milk tea, now firmly returned to his desk.
“…”
“Sorry, but I don’t think I can earn that thousand bucks,” Zhou Le said, returning the tea to Liu Yanyan after class.
The girl frowned slightly, her gentle, beautiful face now tinged with disappointment.
Seeing her so disheartened, Zhou Le couldn’t help feeling bad for her. She was so pretty—how could Lu Jingran not like her? What kind of person did he like, anyway?
“Could you help me just one more time? If you find anything out, I’ll still give you a thousand,” Liu Yanyan pleaded. “Please, it’s really important to me, Little Brother Zhou Le.”
Zhou Le… little brother?
Liu Yanyan was an Omega, and her scent was a lovely gardenia aroma that Zhou Le liked a lot.
Caught off guard, he just nodded, cheeks a little red. “S-sure.”
…
Walking back to class, Zhou Le was mentally kicking himself.
Why did I agree again? Why can’t I just say no? Do I really need that thousand that much?
…Okay, yeah, I do.
But he also had to admit he was a bit swayed by her beauty.
I mean, if a campus goddess asks you sweetly to help her, would you say no?
Of course not!
Zhou Le: …
Zhou Le was officially fed up with himself.
“Could you keep an eye on Lu Jingran’s preferences for me? Anything—his food, clothes, things he uses. He doesn’t like boba, so maybe he likes something else. It’s just, I don’t know what.”
“If I give him the right thing, maybe he’ll finally accept it. The fan club has information on him, but I’m not sure what’s real anymore. I don’t want to be rejected again.”
“Thank you. I’m counting on you.”
Zhou Le: …
Finding out someone’s likes?
Zhou Le hadn’t expected to go from being the campus delivery boy to a full-on detective.
That thousand was going to be tough to earn.
Thinking about this, Zhou Le found himself at home after school.
The bike ride home only took about ten minutes, and once inside, Zhou Le headed upstairs and unlocked the door.
“Back already, Lele?” his mother, Cheng Ying, asked. She sat in a wheelchair, hands gloved, as she packed food into plastic containers. Her gentle smile greeted him warmly.
Though middle-aged, the fine lines at her eyes added a certain graceful charm.
“I told you, Mom, I’ll handle it when I get home. You need to take it easy on your legs,” Zhou Le said, dropping his backpack and putting on gloves to take over the rice rolls she was making.
Cheng Ying was an excellent cook, known around the local market especially for her delicious rice rolls. If not for her leg issues that kept her from setting up her own stall, she could’ve sold a lot more.
Thanks to her previous market connections, many vendors still displayed her rice rolls at their stalls, taking orders a day in advance. Zhou Le then delivered the orders, making a little extra money to help with their living expenses.
Most vendors, aware of their tough situation, gave them a symbolic share of the profit, barely taking anything for themselves.
Zhou Le glanced at the row of rice rolls on the table. “Mom, that’s too many. We only have about 30 orders for tomorrow, and you’ve already made close to 40.”
Cheng Ying chuckled, “The extras are for you! You can’t live on buns every day, you know. You’re so used to it that you haven’t noticed—you haven’t grown any taller in a while.”
Zhou Le was 175 cm, which was a bit short for a Beta. Betas didn’t grow as tall as Alphas, who could reach over 190 cm, but Betas shouldn’t be this short either.
If…he was a Beta, that is.
“Alright, Mom.” Zhou Le carefully removed her gloves, crouching down to speak softly. “Go relax and watch some TV. I’ll finish up here, and then I have to deliver an order to Uncle Zhou. Don’t wait up for me; I’ll be gone for a few hours.”
Knowing her son was resolute, Cheng Ying nodded. He’d be out for hours, after all, so he wouldn’t notice if she quietly stayed up a little longer.
“Alright, I’ll watch some TV,” she said with a smile.
“Come back as soon as you’re done with the deliveries, don’t stay out too late. Even though you’re not an Omega, it’s still dangerous being out that late. Don’t make me worry,” Zhou Le’s mother reminded him.
Zhou Le nodded repeatedly, only leaving after making sure she was settled into bed.
He first delivered rice rolls to the uncles and aunts who had placed orders at the market, then went to find Uncle Zhou nearby.
Uncle Zhou ran a small restaurant and treated him well. Sometimes, if there were untouched leftovers, he would pack them up for Zhou Le and his mother.
“Be careful out there tonight, and ride slowly. These orders are all close by,” Uncle Zhou reminded him.
The motorbike was Uncle Zhou’s, and though he wanted to do the deliveries himself, his health just didn’t allow it.
“It’s good that you’re a Beta—you don’t get into any trouble, unlike Alphas or Omegas,” Uncle Zhou said, clearly pleased, his affection for Zhou Le growing.
“Oh, by the way, we made extra today. I’ll pack up some pickled pork ribs for you to take home for your mom. She needs the nutrition, and her leg…well, it’s bound to be an issue someday.”
Zhou Le had long thought about his mother’s leg; with surgery, there was hope she could walk again. But the cost of the surgery was astronomical for them—living day to day was hard enough without even thinking about medical expenses.
“Thanks, Uncle Zhou! Here’s to booming business for you tomorrow!” Zhou Le clapped his hands.
Uncle Zhou burst into laughter. “You’re a funny kid.”
That night, while delivering for Uncle Zhou, Zhou Le was still thinking about Liu Yanyan’s request.
The thought of that 1,000 yuan sitting in his WeChat account was tantalizing.
But as for Lu Jingran’s likes? How would he even find that out?
After all, Lu Jingran was practically a young master, the kind of person who might like things Zhou Le had never even heard of…
As he mulled this over, Zhou Le stared at the meal box in his hand, deep in thought.
When it came to food preferences… maybe the cafeteria?
The idea kept growing on him, and the next day, he started his plan—following him.
He pulled out a small notebook he’d once found by the trash—one usually used to jot down assignments—and decided he’d use it to record Lu Jingran’s likes. Once he compiled enough, he’d give it to Liu Yanyan and earn that 1,000 yuan. What a plan!
Riding his little beat-up motorbike down the street, Zhou Le decided to treat himself to a sausage snack the next day as a reward.
—
“What are we eating for lunch?” After the third period, Chen Nan collapsed into his seat, groaning, “I’m so hungry. I wish the cafeteria was open right now—I want to skip class.”
Lu Jingran, who was focused on his work, ignored him.
Chen Nan leaned closer. “Come on, Brother Lu, you’re always at the top of the class—who are you trying to beat by studying so hard?”
“Why not just have fun, eat, and relax every day?”
Sitting behind him, Sheng Qian took a sip from his thermos. “Are you a pig?”
“Shut up!” Chen Nan shot back. “Brother Lu, he’s slandering me!”
Lu Jingran glanced up at him, and Chen Nan instantly fell silent.
Once he returned to his work, the surroundings became noticeably quieter.
After finishing an English problem, Lu Jingran said, “Braised beef.”
Braised beef was a signature dish at the school cafeteria—delicious and sought after by many.
When they went to the cafeteria a bit late for lunch, the line at the braised beef window was already long.
They queued up at the very end.
As soon as Lu Jingran appeared, murmurs ran through the crowd.
“Whoa, that’s Lu Jingran, our male god!”
“Oh my gosh, he’s so handsome!”
“Wait, is he actually here with his group of rich friends to compete with us for food?”
The voices weren’t exactly quiet, and Chen Nan could hear them too.
He puffed his chest, assuming they were talking about him, looking smug and aloof.
Sheng Qian, on the other hand, was more realistic. They didn’t often go to the cafeteria—usually, he and Chen Nan would bring food back for Lu Jingran, who was busy with his top-rank academic schedule. Besides, Old Feng had a talk with Lu Jingran about this.
—“From now on, just don’t go to the cafeteria. It’s too easy to cause trouble there. Last time, we nearly had a stampede. Just stay in class and don’t stir things up.”
Apparently, some younger Omegas had even gone to Old Feng to complain several times, frustrated that their brief glimpses of their senior had been curtailed by his cafeteria ban.
Actually, Lu Jingran hadn’t wanted to come out either, but he’d been a bit stumped by his work today and wanted a break. It was lunchtime, so he…
Then he felt it—a gaze that was hard to ignore.
Sneaky, furtive, watching from the shadows.
Clearly trying not to be noticed but still stretching to see something, their neck craned with intense focus.
Lu Jingran’s gaze swept over to find Zhou Le peeking from behind a nearby pillar, his small face scrunched in concentration, lips slightly parted, eyebrows furrowed. He was too short to see much, looking a bit frustrated, a bit sad, a bit pitiful…
…Clearly focused on the sign by the window.
Lu Jingran shifted a little to the side.
The crowd moved with him, unintentionally drifting off-center.
Through the gap, Zhou Le finally managed to read the sign.
Braised beef!
Ha!
So, that’s what the class rep liked! Unexpected but interesting.
Grinning, Zhou Le jotted it down triumphantly in his notebook, nearly giddy with satisfaction.
As he clicked his pen closed and looked up, a shiver ran down his spine.
Lu Jingran was looking right at him, one corner of his mouth lifted in a faint, unreadable smile.
