Chapter 12
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
In Rong Qiu’s heart, the biggest issue was Qin Muye’s safety. Knowing that Qin Muye was safe in the bar was enough.
The two left the hotel and returned to their respective dormitories.
Back in the dormitory, Rong Qiu still couldn’t relax.
Rong Qiu was still apologizing to the director for skipping the exam last night; the attitude of the theory class teacher and the mecha class professor towards him always revealed a strong impatience and annoyance.
Rong Qiu had gotten used to it.
Not all alphas harbored good intentions towards the Betas, especially in a prestigious university like A University. Being suppressed by him, a Beta student, for so long, was a kind of invisible blow to those alphas with class consciousness.
But even though the academic teachers had a bad attitude, he couldn’t disrespect them.
He didn’t apply for a deferred exam in advance, but according to the regulations, he still had the right to a makeup exam. However, even if he scored full marks in the makeup exam, it would only be considered a pass with sixty points. Moreover, he would not be included in the list of candidates for the scholarship in the next semester.
Now he had to discuss the matter of a deferred exam with the teacher.
This time, apart from him, only Su Ran applied for a deferred exam in the class.
If nothing unexpected happened, they would take the makeup exam together.
Rong Qiu would not blame Ah Ye for the bar incident. Besides, he understood that Ah Ye was not someone who messed around casually. It must be Su Ran who had a bad influence on Ah Ye.
Su Ran’s reputation for revelry was extremely famous throughout A University.
So, two days later, when he saw Su Ran again in the theory class, Rong Qiu directly didn’t give him a good face.
Su Ran, however, looked energetic.
Walking toward him with large strides, he said, “You, this fool, actually came to the bar that night. Going for a makeup exam, right? But you’re stupid. I can’t harm Ah Ye even if I wanted to.”
Rong Qiu gave him a deep look. If his gaze could kill, Su Ran would have died a thousand times under his eyes, “Don’t you think you should reflect on why you have such an image in my heart? If you were a bit more reliable, I wouldn’t worry about Ah Ye’s safety outside.”
Su Ran was left speechless by the Beta’s retort, instantly furious.
In the end, it was just impotent rage.
Rong Qiu never suffered losses from anyone other than Qin Muye.
Essentially a tough character, or else he wouldn’t have successfully grown into an adult relying solely on himself.
After venting on Su Ran, Rong Qiu felt much better.
This was one of the rare times when he would reveal his inner malicious side. Most of the time, he would channel his frustration into the sandbags on the sports field. However, in his sparse circle of friends, few people could rile him up like Su Ran did, every word stepping on his sore points.
The news of Rong Qiu dropping out of the exam spread faster than Su Ran’s latest scandal. In less than three days, the entire grade knew about Rong Qiu dropping out.
The second-ranking alpha from the Combat Department intercepted Rong Qiu after class.
Rong Qiu looked puzzled.
The alpha stood tall with a military bearing, a standard soldier-like appearance. Rong Qiu had a decent impression of him; this person was just more competitive, but not a bad person. Once, during an external mission, his mecha had an accident, and this alpha had helped him fix it.
So, Rong Qiu stopped with a good temper, “Is there something you need?”
The alpha asked seriously, “Why did you drop out?”
Rong Qiu frowned, “Sorry, this is my private matter.”
The alpha looked at him disapprovingly, “Rong Qiu, haven’t you forgotten that this year’s assessment scores directly affect the military district selection rights for next semester? You can only get a maximum of 60 points in this theory class. Are you sure you can still go to the First Military District like this?”
The words “First Military District” resounded like thunder.
Rong Qiu’s heart tightened, and he naturally hadn’t forgotten, “Even if I only get 60 points in the makeup exam, I will still be first.”
The alpha raised an eyebrow, showing no signs of giving in, “It’s better this way. I aim to get into the First Military District.”
The alpha stopping him was just the beginning.
Because of dropping out, Rong Qiu was scolded by the professor of the mecha class during the mecha practical class for a long time. His ears were almost calloused. Unfortunately, Rong Qiu respected the professor as an elder who cared about him, so he didn’t dare to argue back. This obedient quail-like appearance earned him countless eye rolls from Su Ran, who had just gotten off the mecha.
Finally escaping from the professor’s presence, Rong Qiu hid in the restroom for peace.
Taking out his phone, he found that Ah Ye had sent him a message!
Ah Ye: Free? Let’s have dinner.
Wow!
Ah Ye invited him to dinner today!
Rong Qiu immediately replied: Okay!
After hesitating for a moment, he sent another message.
Rong Qiu: Are there others…
Ah Ye: Anyone else you want?
Rong Qiu:!! No one! Let’s go on a date!
Ah Ye: ……
Seeing the six dots Ah Ye sent, Rong Qiu automatically took it as agreement.
He had already figured out Ah Ye’s temperament.
If there was no explicit refusal, it meant there was room for negotiation. As long as he made an effort, anything open to negotiation would become a definite agreement.
So, it really was a date!
The two words “going on a date” seemed to possess a magical charm, causing a burst of excitement in Rong Qiu’s heart. There were instantly ten thousand colorful and lively deer leaping and frolicking inside him, and the corners of his mouth were already close to reaching his temples.
Casually passing by the restroom, Su Ran, with his hands in his pockets, tried hard not to show his curiosity, “Tsk, who sent you a message? Why so happy?”
Rong Qiu pressed his phone to his chest, not allowing him to see like a guard dog.
Su Ran clicked his tongue, deliberately taking out his phone and playing with it in front of Rong Qiu, “Just got a message, huh? Who doesn’t receive messages? Oh, Ah Ye invited me to dinner.”
Rong Qiu:?
At this moment, Rong Qiu looked at Su Ran as if he were some kind of top-notch fool.
How did he not realize before that Su Ran was such a good actor?
For a brief moment, he felt he was a bit dull in his previous conflicts with Su Ran.
***
Qin Muye had just arrived at the restaurant.
The restaurant had prepared everything according to his instructions, nothing too extraordinary. Besides the signature dishes, there was also a bouquet of red roses on the table.
Qin Muye looked at the flowers on the table, his eyebrows lightly moving, “Why are they red?”
The owner respectfully explained, “Yellow roses are rare, and they need to be air-shipped from Star J. There wasn’t enough time for that now.”
Qin Muye had rushed the reservation, only half an hour in advance.
In the end, Qin Muye didn’t let anyone take away the roses.
Looking at the flowers, Qin Muye couldn’t help but think of the Beta’s reaction at the hotel a few days ago.
He had doubted whether Rong Qiu was sincere in what he said.
But Rong Qiu’s demeanor at that time was too sincere, as if everything he said was genuine, too obedient and docile.
Rong Qiu’s questioning, shouldn’t it revolve around those omegas and the bar incident? Shouldn’t he have been incessantly questioning him about it?
If Rong Qiu had noticed the omegas surrounding him and the situation at the bar, and chose to confront him with anger or loud questioning, perhaps he could have handled it as before. Like countless times before, when Rong Qiu attempted to intervene in his affairs, he could stand on the supreme position, get angry, have a cold war, warn the Beta to mind his own business.
But the Beta’s reaction this time was too composed.
Apart from the initial confusion, he was exceptionally docile.
It was as if anything he said, Rong Qiu would believe.
This was not the reaction Qin Muye had expected, and such a change made his brows furrow.
Although the alpha considered himself blameless, he always felt the need to do something, hence this dinner.
Originally, this meal was meant to appease the Beta.
As expected, the Beta was easily appeased.
He said he wanted to invite the Beta to dinner, and the Beta’s joy overflowed from the dark, rigid characters. A series of exclamation marks, and he even unilaterally defined this dinner as a “date.”
A date was an activity between lovers.
But there was no romantic relationship between him and Rong Qiu. At most, they were bed companions who were indifferent to each other.
But Qin Muye surprisingly didn’t argue.
Forget it, consider it a lingering sentiment he left for the Beta before parting ways after graduation.
Moreover, his accelerated promotion procedure was about to be finalized. The exams had just passed, and barring any surprises, he could jump to the senior year.
This meant he would soon be in the same grade as Rong Qiu. The Command Department and the Combat Department would go on missions together, and if lucky, they would spend more time together.
The Beta should be happier knowing this news.
The man with a gentler demeanor retrieved his phone, playing with the metal casing of the lighter. With a crisp sound, the Beta’s figure finally appeared outside the transparent glass window, looking disheveled.
***
Rong Qiu was also frustrated.
After receiving Qin Muye’s message, he specifically went back to the dorm to take a shower, changed into a clean outfit, and then arrived at the restaurant where Ah Ye had sent him the address.
He knew this restaurant well; he had booked meals for Ah Ye several times before.
It was expensive, but the food was delicious and exquisite.
On Ah Ye’s eighteenth birthday, he had spent a lot of money at this restaurant, requesting the head chef to teach him to prepare a meal. Coincidentally, behind the restaurant was a famous five-star hotel.
After dinner, they naturally rolled into the hotel.
During that time when they were just starting, both of them were especially passionate. Especially Ah Ye, his desires were in stark contrast to his usual clear and cool demeanor. Every time, they couldn’t come out until four or five hours later. As the frequency increased, coupled with Ah Ye’s outstanding appearance, the hotel reception even recognized them.
Today wasn’t a special day, not their birthdays or an anniversary. Ah Ye invited him here just to do something happy together…
Rong Qiu deliberately changed into a white shirt.
Every time he wore this, Ah Ye seemed to like it a lot, and the buttons had been pulled off several times.
However, halfway there, he saved a kitten, and his clean white shirt now had obvious dust marks. Even a significant portion of his shoulder was affected. The shirt’s threads were raised, revealing a glimpse of the tender skin underneath.
At the entrance, the waiter naturally stopped Rong Qiu. Rong Qiu explained and pointed to Qin Muye sitting inside. After Qin Muye nodded, the waiter let him in.
Soon, Rong Qiu blinked and stood in front of Qin Muye.
“Ah Ye, I’m here.”
Looking at Rong Qiu’s distressed appearance, Qin Muye couldn’t help but frown. He took off his sports jacket and handed it to Rong Qiu.
Holding the jacket with the lingering warmth from the man, Rong Qiu felt a bit dazed, like a small animal.
“What are you standing there for? Put it on.”
“No need, I’m dirty…”
He would soil Ah Ye’s jacket.
“Put it on.”
“Oh.”
Rong Qiu’s gaze flickered and quickly put on Qin Muye’s sports jacket. The man’s clothes were oversized, completely enveloping him.
Rong Qiu secretly zipped it up to the top, even pushing it up a couple of times at the end. It covered his delicate jawline, but his eyes were curved in a smile.
Hey, boyfriend’s jacket.
Seeing a certain Beta covering half his face and smiling foolishly while playing with the zipper, Qin Muye’s gaze involuntarily shifted away.
What an idiot.
The waiter brought wet wipes, and Rong Qiu took them, carefully wiping his face and hands.
It wasn’t really dirty, but he was afraid that the man would dislike it.
After wiping, Qin Muye finally asked, “What happened to your arm? Fell while walking?”
After wiping clean, Qin Muye asked, “What happened to your body, did you fall while walking?”
Rong Qiu smiled shyly, revealing a set of teeth as white as seashells, “There was a cat on the road about to be hit by a car, so I went to rescue it.”
After saying this, Rong Qiu pointed excitedly outside the window, “Look! That little kitten is still out there.”
The cat Rong Qiu rescued was of an unknown breed, somewhat like a Ragdoll and a bit like a Maine Coon. It had fluffy fur that looked very voluminous, but its coat was also dusted with dirt. Interestingly, it shared some similarities with the beta in front of Qin Muye.
However, Qin Muye wasn’t interested in the cat outside.
His gaze landed on the beta’s arm, “Is your arm okay?”
Rong Qiu moved it a bit, “It’s fine, not even a scratch.”
Students in the combat department had practiced techniques to endure falls, knowing how to land in a way that would ensure their safety. So, Rong Qiu only looked a bit dirty but was actually completely unharmed.
After speaking, Rong Qiu noticed the red roses on the table, the bouquet vibrant and still adorned with fresh water droplets.
Indeed, it was a date; there were red roses on the table.
Rong Qiu looked at the flowers with joy.
Qin Muye knew he liked them.
The Beta liked yellow roses.
Because the beta had mentioned it in his diary.
He had seen the Beta writing in his diary, like a child just learning to write, sitting upright, obediently recording the day’s events on the paper.
When he discovered it, the Beta used his arm to shield the diary.
“Not letting me see?”
“… you can.”
The Beta blushed and handed him the diary.
Qin Muye wasn’t really interested in the Beta’s diary, so he didn’t read it carefully. He remembered the Beta liked yellow roses, thanks to his good memory. He only glanced at it and remembered how the Beta praised the golden branches of J Star, like vibrant warm sunshine. Ironically, such beautiful flowers hinted at an impending farewell to love.
The Beta was always sentimental about many small things.
Unfortunately, there were no yellow roses now.
But he gave red roses, and the Beta should be happy.
Because the Beta was easily pleased, just give him a bit of sweetness, and he would forget all the previous bitterness.
The waiter quickly brought the dishes.
Eight courses, and since there were no various chili peppers, Rong Qiu automatically assumed they were dishes he liked. Rong Qiu enjoyed his meal, but he noticed the difference between here and the canteen. Following Qin Muye’s example, he slowed down his eating.
He didn’t want to embarrass Ah Ye.
Having a general idea of what the man wanted to discuss, Rong Qiu took a few bites and then put down his chopsticks. With a pair of large, clear, and amber-like eyes, he stared at Qin Muye. His pupils reflected the man’s face, resembling the surging sea reflecting the moon.
The gaze was too sincere. Qin Muye couldn’t eat under such scrutiny.
“Is the food not good?”
Rong Qiu shook his head, obediently putting down his chopsticks. “Does Ah Ye have something to say?”
The Beta unusually showed a moment of perceptiveness.
“Yes.”
Qin Muye also set aside his chopsticks, starting to play with the wine glass, his movements refined and leisurely.
Rong Qiu raised his head slightly, anticipating his answer.
Qin Muye took a sip of the wine, stopping after a shallow taste. “I skipped a grade.”
“Skipped a grade!”
The Beta’s eyes, which were slightly narrowed before, widened instantly. His two eyes were round and clear, resembling a night sky filled with countless stars.
If Ah Ye skipped a grade, then Ah Ye could go on missions with the Command Department. If they were lucky, they might even be assigned to the same planet for a mission, and then they could be together!
What a great day today!
Ah Ye invited him on a date, and he successfully skipped a grade. Maybe their entire senior year missions would overlap with Ah Ye’s.
“Ah Ye really skipped a grade!”
Qin Muye raised an eyebrow. “Is there a need to lie to you?”
Because he was too excited, Rong Qiu couldn’t say anything coherent. The hot blood rushed through his veins rapidly. Even with the oversized jacket, Qin Muye could see that Rong Qiu’s exposed skin had turned red.
From the face to the fingertips.
Qin Muye clasped his hands in front of his chest, looking at the Beta’s reaction. He felt more relaxed than usual with the Beta’s excited response.
But he deliberately said, “What’s wrong? You’re not happy that I skipped a grade?”
“No… hehe… I’m just too happy.”
Rong Qiu couldn’t hear anything clearly, laughing foolishly for quite a while. He struggled to bring down the corners of his mouth that had risen near his ears. The lingering joy remained.
Qin Muye saw this, another manifestation of the Beta’s affection for him.
Qin Muye averted his gaze calmly.
Forget it.
Talking about parting ways can wait for this foolish guy.
Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get up to 5 more chapters of After the Breakup, He Washed Away the Memories right away ! Or go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
