Chapter 66: It’s time to control points again
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The title of the first news was “Gu Yunli Leaves the Alpha Management Committee, Suspected to Enter Rehabilitation Center for Recovery.”
The second news surprisingly reported that the reason for Gu Yunli’s madness was suspected to be the inability to sense his spouse’s pheromones.
The other links were similar, until the last link, which was an official announcement from the Alpha Management Committee, indicating that the cause of Gu Yunli’s long-term mental disorder had been identified, and active treatment was underway.
An Lan looked at Gu Liyu across the table, bringing his phone to him and said, “Is your dad recovering?”
Gu Liyu just poked a piece of fried egg into An Lan’s mouth. “Eat your breakfast properly.”
Look at this calm appearance, pretending, I’ll just let you pretend.
An Lan swallowed the fried egg and was about to continue scrolling on his phone when Gu Liyu across from him said, “Finish your breakfast properly, and I’ll tell you what’s really going on with Gu Yunli.”
An Lan thought, that your father is okay or not?
And your rebellious son actually calls you by your first name?
But An Lan was still curious. He finished the sandwich and drank the milk. Then, after a cough, Gu Liyu across from him casually began speaking.
“It has been confirmed that the reason for his pheromone disorder is the inability to sense my mother’s pheromones. His brain has transmitted the illusion that this woman does not exist. The unease prompts his body to produce a large amount of aplus. When aplus becomes uncontrollable, he exhibits strong aggression, and the aplus can even damage some of his brain nerves.”
“So… how do you plan to treat it?”
“This is actually a blocker, but it doesn’t block all omega pheromones; it specifically blocks my mother’s pheromones. My cousin is researching a kind of splitting agent that can split this specific blocker inside my father’s body. Once successful, my father will stabilize.”
An Lan carefully observed Gu Liyu’s expression and suddenly poked him with his finger.
“Even if he didn’t accompany you as you grew up, you don’t have to pretend not to care about him.”
Gu Liyu paused. “I only remember him oppressing you with pheromones.”
“That was indiscriminate aggression. Everyone in the hospital was oppressed by him.” An Lan moved closer, and their gazes met. “And when he wakes up, he’ll find out that his wife worried about him for eighteen years, and he missed the growth of his son. It should be painful for him.”
Gu Liyu smiled faintly. “Are you so easily forgiving?”
“I’m not that saintly. I can see that you want to forgive him. Before, you didn’t know why he went crazy, and you were worried every day that you might become the second Gu Yunli. So, there was a bit of resentment in your heart. But now you know it’s not that he can’t control himself, but that he’s helpless. Now, you feel guilty. Guilty for not discovering the reason for his loss of control earlier.”
“Then he should thank you.” Gu Liyu said, clearing the plates and taking them to the kitchen.
“Thank me for what?”
“You made me experience the feeling of losing control. You also made me understand his feelings.”
This calm time didn’t last long before the monthly exam arrived.
Bald Qiang emphasized the timing and precautions of the monthly exam on the podium, then coldly glanced at Gu Liyu, Xu Xingran, and Xiao Chen.
“I hope some students won’t face the exam with a negative attitude. Don’t forget, if you regress this time, you’ll have to run four hundred meters on the acuacupressure board!”
Bald Qiang’s threat had never been as forceful as it was this time, and the whole class was subdued.
The pain from the acupressure board instantly invaded their brains, and the entire classroom fell silent.
When Bald Qiang left, the classroom instantly boiled.
“When I passed by the math teaching and research group, I heard them say that the difficulty of this math paper is one level higher than last year’s college entrance examination. The purpose is to train our exam mentality!”
“D*mn! Is this called training our exam mentality? This is making us collapse before the college entrance examination!”
Xiao Chen used a pen to poke An Lan’s back. “I guess you should improve this time, right? I don’t want to run four hundred meters on the acupressure board.”
An Lan chuckled. “I just know that improving is easy for you guys.”
Qiao Chuluo in front turned around and said seriously, “An Lan, don’t forget your principles. I want to reclaim my place.”
An Lan touched his forehead. “Whether we can be desk mates or not depends on fate, not ability.”
He glanced at the quiet Gu Liyu beside him. Could this guy be so powerful as to end up right behind him?
Ah, no, wait, Gu Liyu just needs to perform according to his abilities. No one in the entire class will sit next to him in the position he has chosen.
So, no matter what rank I achieve, as long as I choose the seat next to Gu Liyu, it’ll be fine.
“Ah… Looks like we need to control our scores well this time,” Xu Xingran sighed.
The discussion started again in the WeChat group, predicting whether the school grass and his CP would still be desk mates next month.
An Lan found it both amusing and exasperating. You guys should take care of yourselves first! The four hundred meters on the acupressure board is waiting for you!
This time’s monthly exam was a rare occasion where An Lan, Gu Liyu, Xu Xingran, and Xiao Chen were in the same exam room. The most incredible thing was that Gu Liyu was sitting right behind him. Before the exam, everyone settled down, waiting for the invigilator. An Lan couldn’t help turning back to look at Gu Liyu, whose desk was surprisingly neat, with nothing but a pen and a pencil for filling out the answer sheet.
“You don’t even use an eraser?”
Aren’t you afraid of making a mistake on the answer sheet?
“No need,” Gu Liyu replied.
An Lan gave him a thumbs up, impressed.
Chinese language wasn’t the focus; math in the afternoon was the key.
An Lan opened the test paper, feeling the death stares from behind.
Especially when he handed in the paper. Gu Liyu, Xu Xingran, and others got a full scroll, most people didn’t finish the last question, including An Lan, who only completed about two-thirds.
An Lan sighed, feeling heavy-hearted.
When they walked out of the classroom, Gu Liyu spoke, “For the multiple-choice questions, the answers are DCABA, CBCCA.”
“You remember them all?”
“How many did you get right?” Gu Liyu asked.
“It seems… the last question was different from yours.”
“Okay, your performance in math this time isn’t too good, but it’s not bad either.” Gu Liyu replied.
“How do you know?”
“When the teacher took your paper, I saw your entire calculation question. The first few were almost correct, and the last one should get about two-thirds of the score. Don’t be too sad.” Gu Liyu said.
An Lan thought, Isn’t this guy too amazing?
He remembered and retained everything the moment the teacher picked up the paper?
“If we’re still sitting together after the monthly exam, should we go celebrate somewhere?” Xu Xingran asked.
“Sure! I know there’s a new bathhouse called Dynamic Waters. There are many fun activities inside!” An Lan immediately suggested.
Gu Liyu’s eyes wrinkled, and he was about to say something when Xu Xingran quickly said, “Then it’s Dynamic Waters. Remember to buy swim trunks.”
“I have swim trunks!” An Lan said, realizing that the atmosphere seemed a bit off.
Xu Xingran suppressed a smile, Xiao Chen lowered his head, and his shoulders trembled slightly. Looking at Gu Liyu, d*mn… the low-pressure field was so strong.
An Lan suddenly realized that his alpha boyfriend was unhappy, after all, he will only be wearing swim trunks… a bit too indulgent.
“Well… everyone is the same, there’s nothing to see.”
After saying this, An Lan felt like he was digging himself into a deeper hole because Gu Liyu’s expression became increasingly unpleasant.
“The main pool will be filled with the scent of your pheromones,” Gu Liyu said coldly.
“It’s okay, you can use some blocker,” Xu Xingran whispered.
An Lan looked at Gu Liyu, who remained silent for a long time before nodding slightly.
Finally, after waiting for the monthly exams to end, Bald Qiang entered with a face full of spring upon holding the report cards.
“I initially thought that this monthly exam would be very difficult, especially in math. Unexpectedly, some students have made significant progress and returned to their original positions.”
An Lan immediately knew he was referring to Xu Xingran, Gu Liyu, and Xiao Chen.
“Come on! First place, Xiao Chen! Our math class representative is truly excellent! Truly worthy of our grade’s famous ‘Exterminating Tyrant’!”
An Lan nearly burst into laughter. He didn’t expect even Bald Qiang to know Xiao Chen’s new nickname.
“F*ck…” Xiao Chen seems quite dissatisfied with his ranking.
He walked to the podium, snatched his report card, and started pacing back and forth at his seat.
Bald Qiang was puzzled by Xiao Chen’s disappointed expression. Wasn’t being first in the grade a good thing?
Needless to say, after ranking first in the grade, he was the first to choose a seat. Facing the empty classroom, he had no idea where his little group would choose to sit.
Xiao Chen lifted his foot and kicked the front.
“What’s up?” An Lan turned around and asked.
“Even if you ranked last, you can’t betray me, bro,” Xiao Chen said.
“I know, I know. Older Bro will take you to new heights.”
“Get lost, I’m your older bro!”
“Second place, Gu Liyu,” Bald Qiang flipped through Gu Liyu’s report card and commented, “Chinese is your strong suit, but it feels like you missed one or two points.”
Gu Liyu remained silent, took his report card, and returned to his seat.
An Lan leaned over to take a look and whispered, “Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Lost to Xu Xingran,” Gu Liyu replied.
“Huh? Why?”
At this point, Bald Qiang read Xu Xingran’s name, and Xu Xingran smiled as he went to the podium.
An Lan didn’t understand. Wasn’t the class monitor ranked behind Gu Liyu? How did he lose to Xu Xingran?
As Xu Xingran passed by An Lan, he deliberately slid the report card over his head. Gu Liyu, standing beside hiim, directly raised his hand to block it.
“Sorry, looks like we’ll still be sitting together,” Xu Xingran said with a slight lowering of his body.
An Lan immediately understood.
Only when Xiao Chen and Xu Xingran chose their seats first could Gu Liyu choose a location far away from them.
“You’re quite good at controlling points,” An Lan said with a smile.
Gu Liyu remained silent.
Finally, it was time to choose seats again. Xiao Chen turned around to look at An Lan. This time, An Lan ranked eighth, looking pleased.
Being number one in the class also had its own sorrow. A single misstep could lead to eternal regret. Just answering one more multiple-choice question had put him in the difficult situation of choosing a seat.
Xiao Chen was also too lazy to choose and sat directly in his original seat.
Next was Gu Liyu. When he stood up, An Lan called out to him from behind, “Don’t sit too far away… we should stick together for mutual support, after all, we’ve experienced life and death together.”
Many classmates looked at An Lan with envy. How could he negotiate conditions with Gu Liyu? And what did he mean by “life and death together”? Was it about a fun competition they participated in, or something else?
Noticing everyone’s gaze on him, An Lan quickly withdrew his head.
Gu Liyu had no expression, took his backpack, and walked to the front of Xiao Chen. With a rustle, he sat down.
Xiao Chen paused and, dissatisfied, poked Gu Liyu’s back with a pen. “Move a bit to the side. I want An Lan to sit in front of me.”
Gu Liyu turned around, glanced at Xiao Chen with a cold look, devoid of warmth.
Xiao Chen was stunned for a moment, truly intimidated by Gu Liyu.
Then came Xu Xingran. If he chose the left side of Gu Liyu, An Lan would definitely sit on Gu Liyu’s right. If he sat on the right side, An Lan would undoubtedly choose Gu Liyu’s left. So, Xu Xingran chose the position between Gu Liyu and left an empty seat, obviously reserved for An Lan.
Qiao Chuluo, who was behind An Lan, sighed, “Ah, I exerted all my strength in this monthly exam, and I still have to sit in front of you.”
“Is it not good to sit in front of me? During class, I can open my eyes and see you,” An Lan reassured him with a smile.
Qiao Chuluo frowned, “The way you say it, it’s like I’m your first love.”
An Lan, without any suspense, sat between Gu Liyu and Xu Xingran. Qiao Chuluo retained his front-row seat. Xiao Chen, who was the top student in the class, wasn’t very satisfied. He was about to swap seats with the person next to him when Bald Qiang noticed.
“Xiao Chen, there’s actually another seat that’s perfect for you.” Bald Qiang said.
“Where?”
“Right here.” Bald Qiang pointed to the side of the podium.
“Oh my god, that’s a seat for someone undisciplined and unable to progress personally.”
“Sleeping in class – do you have discipline?” Bald Qiang sarcastically retorted.
“Tsk, when I sleep in class, I don’t snore or grind my teeth. It doesn’t disturb the teacher’s lecture or other students’ learning. Is that not disciplined?” Xiao Chen twirled his pen and added, “And as the top student in the class, I can progress on my own. Let that seat be for a student who needs it more, okay?”
He made a compelling argument, leaving Bald Qiang with no counter-argument. He extended two fingers, pointed at himself and then at Xiao Chen, meaning “I’m watching you.”
An Lan sighed. It meant they were all being watched. From now on, they had to be “full of spirit” during class, as if their “grandma was patting the electric meter.”
What surprised the whole class even more was that the punishment of 400 meters at the acupressure board was indeed real.
“Now that the seating arrangement is done, it’s time for the large reward we promised to students who fell behind by more than three places – the acupressure board.”
The class immediately heard a collective gasp.
“You’re lucky; the school couldn’t come up with 400 meters.”
Behind An Lan, there was a sigh of relief.
“But, we do have 50 meters!”
Followed by more gasps.
“Now, those who fell behind by more than three places, please stand up and assemble on the playground. Time will etch this moment into your memories!”
An Lan swallowed hard, feeling extremely fortunate that none of them fell behind by more than three places this time.
Many students were leaning on the windowsills, some with phones, others cheering. One by one, students ran across the acupressure board. Some initially wanted to run the entire distance, but 50 meters was no joke, and tears flowed halfway.
“Survived this time… I wonder if we can escape the mid-term exams,” An Lan murmured, touching his chest.
Xu Xingran leaned against the window, smiling, “As long as we’re here, you won’t end up on the acupressure board.”
Xiao Chen frowned, pointing at Gu Liyu, “Why do I feel like he should be the one saying that?”
“Uh…” Xu Xingran shrugged, “Being able to provoke jealousy from Gu Liyu is the greatest sense of accomplishment for me.”
This self-deprecating remark made An Lan feel a bit guilty, but at the same time, it indicated that Xu Xingran had let go of some things.
“So, can we go to the Dynamic Water Park this weekend?” Xiao Chen asked.
“I have good news and bad news, which one do you want to hear first?” Xu Xingran said leisurely.
Xiao Chen and An Lan simultaneously said, “Bad news.”
“The bad news is that the Dynamic Water Park you’ve been looking forward to is still undergoing water quality inspection and won’t open until next week.”
“Oh… I bought new swim trunks, and you’re telling me I can’t go swimming?” Xiao Chen raised an eyebrow.
But for Gu Liyu, perhaps, this was good news. He never wanted An Lan to flaunt in swim trunks in front of other alphas.
“And the good news?” An Lan asked.
“The good news is – did you all forget that Xiao Chen transferred to the ‘Cloud Club’? He is now An Lan’s teammate. Our club, Mountain and Sea, is planning a friendly match with Cloud Club this weekend. It’s a good opportunity for Mountain and Sea to evaluate whether An Lan and Xiao Chen together can challenge our position as number one.”
Xiao Chen was momentarily stunned, rubbing the back of his head, “So many things have happened recently, I almost forgot… it’s been a while since I practiced, and my hands might be rusty.”
“Your hands can’t afford to be rusty. There aren’t many in the ‘Cloud Club’ who can match up to us.” Xu Xingran teased.
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