The moment Di Zhe returned to the classroom, he immediately began asking around.
“Is a transfer student coming to the school recently? Does anyone know?”
Yu Zhixing, the bespectacled boy who happened to be the homeroom teacher’s nephew, told him, “Not sure about the other classes but our class might get a transfer student tomorrow.”
Di Zhe was overjoyed. “Our class??”
Geng Zhixing nodded. “Yeah. My aunt was really happy during dinner the day before yesterday. She said a student with excellent grades might transfer into our class. Apparently, he was the top scorer in the high school entrance exam where he came from. His grades are extremely good.”
Di Zhe fell into a dreamy daze and murmured to himself, “He looks so smart… No wonder he’s the person I fell in love with at first sight… We really are fated…”
Yu Zhixing rubbed his arms, where goosebumps had risen and asked someone nearby who seemed to know what was going on, “What’s wrong with him?”
“You didn’t notice during P.E. just now?” one of the boys beside them sighed. “Looks like our boss is destined to suffer because of love for the rest of his life.”
Yu Zhixing said, “Oh, right but there’s no guarantee he’ll actually enroll in our school. With grades that good, plenty of schools are probably competing to recruit him. I think today he’s just here for a visit. He’ll decide afterward.”
“What?” Di Zhe suddenly grew anxious. Pressing his hands together as if praying to the heavens, he pleaded, “Dear heavens, please let him choose our school! I’m here, after all!”
It’s precisely because you’re here that he’ll probably be scared away!
The circle of classmates around them all silently thought the same thing at the same time.
Meanwhile.
In the cafeteria, Shen Yandong had already finished touring the school’s laboratory building under the guidance of the principal and several teachers. By the time they were done, it was lunchtime, so one of the teachers accompanied him to experience the school cafeteria.
Shen Yandong was given a temporary meal card and joined the line with the other students of the school.
The line was very long.
Nearly three thousand students in the entire school crowded into a single cafeteria for lunch, forming a dense, bustling sea of people.
In front of Shen Yandong stood two students who had come together to eat, chatting idly to pass the time.
Standing nearby, even though he had no intention of listening, their conversation drifted clearly into his ears. Gradually, he realized they were making fun of a boy.
“Look, this is the love letter Di Zhe wrote to me.”
“Hahaha! Di Zhe’s handwriting is actually pretty neat. He looks like a fool, I thought his writing would be messy like a dog’s scrawl.”
“Last time I saw you walking your dog, you were so patient and gentle with the little thing. I was instantly moved by that…”
Listening to their mocking laughter, Shen Yandong found himself unable to agree with them.
Even if you didn’t like someone, there was no need to ridicule their confession like this. Publicly reading someone’s love letter in a crowded place was really too disrespectful.
The name “Di Zhe” sounded somewhat familiar.
Wasn’t that the same name as the alpha he had run into earlier? “Di” wasn’t exactly a common surname.
After finishing lunch, Shen Yandong returned to the teaching building, with a teacher guiding him along a smaller, quieter path.
Two students were resting in the shade beneath a flower covered trellis beside the artificial lake.
“Hey, a piece of paper fell out of your book. What is it?”
“Oh, it’s the love letter Di Zhe gave me last month. I slipped it into the book casually and then forgot about it.”
“The one where he asked you to walk home together after school?”
“Yeah, that one.”
“Did you go?”
“Haha, of course not.”
Another love letter from Di Zhe?
Could it really be referring to that alpha who had introduced himself as Di Zhe?
At this point, Shen Yandong had already begun to sense that something was off.
Even so, he still tried to think about it fairly and objectively. What exactly did these people think liking someone meant? If you didn’t like someone, then you didn’t like them, why mock another person’s feelings behind their back?
The tour of the new school soon came to an end.
Classes had not been dismissed yet.
The principal personally escorted Shen Yandong to the school gate. A black matte sedan was already waiting there.
The moment he sat down inside the car, his phone rang.
Shen Yandong answered the call. It was his mother.
“How was the visit today?” she asked. “Is that school acceptable?”
“It’s fine,” Shen Yandong replied noncommittally.
His mother sounded somewhat displeased. “Your father really is something. If he wants to keep a low profile, fine but it’s not like there weren’t other options. Why insist on sending you to study in the countryside?”
Shen Yandong’s tone remained calm and indifferent. “This is Grandma’s hometown. It’s also a place with beautiful scenery and talented people. Besides, it doesn’t matter where I study.”
Yes, it didn’t matter.
No matter where he went, he would still be the top student.
Even if he was a beta.
His mother continued to nag for a while longer and Shen Yandong patiently listened throughout the ride.
Before long, they arrived at his residence.
He was living in the oldest district of H City. His grandmother’s family had once been a prominent household in the area. At the height of their prosperity, the family had owned assets amounting to half the city. The garden where his grandmother had grown up had long since been turned into a tourist attraction, if he wanted to visit it now, he would actually have to buy a ticket.
Among the few remaining properties left behind from those times, there was one old house that had been vacant for years, nearly falling into ruin.
However, Shen Yandong had never lived in a traditional Jiangnan style house before and he found it rather fascinating. He had the place simply renovated, hiring a well known designer who preserved as much of the original character as possible. Many old items were reused and the house was decorated in a way that retained its antique charm while still providing modern comfort.
The next day.
Shen Yandong woke up early, changed into his new school uniform and took the bus to school.
Halfway through the journey, two students wearing the same school uniform boarded the bus. Each of them was eating breakfast while chatting excitedly about the latest gossip.
“Hey, hey, did you hear? Di Zhe is in love again.”
“Huh? What number is this one?”
“How many was it for you again?”
“I was the 31st person to receive his love letter.”
“The newest one hasn’t gotten a letter yet, I think. I heard it’s a transfer student who just arrived, so he hasn’t had time to give it yet. That one should be the sixty seventh.”
At this point, Shen Yandong finally understood.
No wonder it had seemed like such a coincidence, everywhere he went, he kept encountering someone who had received a love letter from Di Zhe. It turned out that Di Zhe was handing them out everywhere!
Wasn’t he only in the second year of high school?
And yet he had already sent out sixty six love letters?
Shen Yandong found it difficult to believe.
Just yesterday, he had even felt a bit sympathetic toward Di Zhe for being mocked. After all, from what he had personally heard, Di Zhe’s love letters, though simple, were sincere and heartfelt.
Because he had nearly been fooled by that impression, Shen Yandong now felt even more irritated.
The opinion he had briefly wavered on solidified once again.
Sure enough, Di Zhe was an alpha with absolutely no sense of restraint.
Shen Yandong had never liked alphas very much.
In his mind, alphas were all the same. A healthy omega was measured by having a regular heat cycle but alphas could go into rut anytime and anywhere. The very thought of it made him feel utterly disgusted.
But the transfer student they were talking about, the one Di Zhe supposedly liked, who was it?
Other than me, is there another transfer student?
…Could they possibly be talking about me?
Shen Yandong’s eyelid suddenly twitched.
An ominous feeling began to gather in his chest, growing heavier and heavier like dark clouds piling up before a violent storm.
When Shen Yandong reached the school gate, he spotted the tall figure of Di Zhe at a glance.
A bright red banner reading “Welcome to School” was slung diagonally across his body. He stood there grinning brilliantly, greeting every student who walked through the gate with a cheerful “Good morning!”
Just then, the principal arrived.
Di Zhe immediately straightened and offered a dazzling smile. “Good morning, respected Principal Grandpa.”
The principal looked like his head was about to explode. His face filled with alarm. “Di Zhe, what on earth are you up to now?”
Di Zhe suddenly put on an aggrieved expression, as though deeply wronged. “Why are you so unwilling to trust me? I just want to contribute to our school’s excellent image. See? I came early in the morning to volunteer as a greeter.”
While they were talking, Shen Yandong quietly slipped behind the principal, intending to enter the school without drawing attention.
“Beep, beep!”
The electronic gate gave a refusal signal.
Shen Yandong blinked. “?”
Di Zhe turned his head at the sound and the moment he saw Shen Yandong, his eyes lit up.
He rushed over at lightning speed, brimming with enthusiasm.
“Classmate! The equipment at our school is pretty bad,” he said warmly. “Since you’re a new transfer student, your information probably hasn’t been entered yet. I’ll take you inside!”
The moment he said that first sentence, the principal beside them whipped his head around and glared at him furiously.
You dare speak badly about the school right in front of me?!
Di Zhe, however, showed not the slightest hint of embarrassment.
As he spoke, he casually slapped his own student card against the sensor with a crisp smack.
The gate opened.
Di Zhe’s enthusiasm made it almost impossible to refuse.
“Come on, I’ll take you to the classroom!”
Shen Yandong politely declined. “I can find it myself.”
Di Zhe waved it off immediately. “Oh, don’t be so polite.”
Shen Yandong fell silent.
This alpha not only lacked restraint but he also had no sense of boundaries.
Left with little choice, Shen Yandong reluctantly followed along.
Di Zhe had thick brows and large eyes, the kind that resembled a puppy’s, round and bright, with shiny black pupils. His voice was loud and clear and every word he spoke seemed to pour directly into Shen Yandong’s ears through a funnel.
“I’m also in Class Two, Grade One,” Di Zhe said cheerfully. “From now on we’ll be classmates. I already told you my name yesterday. Do you remember? My name is Di Zhe, ‘Di’ like Di Renjie and ‘Zhe’ written with two ‘Ji’ characters, as in the ‘Ji’ from auspiciousness. I’m the boss of No. 1 High School. This whole area is under my protection. From now on, just mention my name, no one will dare bully you.”
Shen Yandong said nothing.
Di Zhe continued, “What’s your name? Can you tell me?”
Shen Yandong replied calmly, “When we get to the classroom, I’ll introduce myself naturally.”
Di Zhe refused to give up and continued pestering him. “Just tell me first. I already told you mine.”
Shen Yandong felt a bit irritated. After a brief pause, he finally forced a few words out through clenched teeth, clearly unwilling. “My name is Shen Yandong. ‘Yan’ as in ‘a peaceful and prosperous world.’”
The moment he heard it, Di Zhe’s happiness became instantly visible.
It was the kind of happiness that belonged to a three or four year old child, pure and unrestrained, the kind that surged straight from the heart and spilled out all at once. The light of delight flickered in his eyes, shining brightly.
“Shen Yandong,” he repeated, savoring the sound of it. “That’s such a nice name. Shen Yandong.”
Then, all of a sudden, he seemed to grow a little bashful. “Wait for me a moment.”
As he spoke, he immediately turned around, presenting his back and reached into his pocket to take something out. He began scribbling quickly.
By then, Shen Yandong already had a guess forming in his mind.
Sure enough.
Only a few seconds later, Di Zhe turned back around. In his hand was a colorful pink envelope decorated with flowers. The name written on the front, “To Shen Yandong”, had clearly just been added moments ago.
Di Zhe could not wait even a single moment longer. He had learned Shen Yandong’s name less than two minutes ago yet he was already eager to shove the love letter into his hands.
“Classmate,” he said earnestly, “I like you. I fell in love with you at first sight. Will you be my boyfriend?”
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
A coffee offering has been placed before the translator altar. ✧
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Love at first sightChapter 2 · Lack of discretionChapter 3 · ShamelessChapter 4 · UnreasonableChapter 5 · PerseveranceChapter 6 · College Entrance Examination EndChapter 7 · Graduation dinnerChapter 8 · Confession nightChapter 9 · Pressing in step by stepChapter 10 · Enough is enoughChapter 11 · A huge blowChapter 12 · University start dateChapter 13 · Roommate meetingChapter 14 · Relentless harassmentChapter 15 · I’ll pick you upChapter 16 · It’s my vulnerable periodChapter 17 · Voluntary datingChapter 18 · Open your heartChapter 19 · Obedient to allChapter 20 · Not a virginChapter 21 · Swear to love meChapter 22 · Youthful DaydreamsChapter 23 · Teenage ThoughtsChapter 24 · EmptyChapter 25 · Extremely anxiousChapter 26 · Too lazy to struggleChapter 27 · From now on