A self-criticism read with the comedic timing of a stand-up routine…Jiang Chen and Gu Xin’s stellar performance had the crowd roaring with laughter and applause, splashing a vibrant, youthful color onto an otherwise dry and dull Monday morning flag-raising ceremony.
The director of political education didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but ultimately let them off with a stern face.
Taking the circumstances into account, the school only required the freshmen to write self-criticisms. The three sophomores, however, each received a formal demerit.
After that legendary comedic reading, Jiang Chen, who had always flown under the radar, was suddenly famous. By mid-morning, the number of girls passing by Class 8 just to use the restroom had spiked. After all, it was rare to find someone who embodied the word “lethargic” so thoroughly from the inside out. More importantly, Jiang Chen was undeniably good-looking…the kind of striking, clean visual that you could look at forever without getting tired of. It was more than enough to catch everyone’s eye.
When the bell rang for the final morning period, Wei Meng, whose stomach was already rumbling, bolted for the cafeteria. Gu Xin was called to the teacher’s office, leaving Jiang Chen behind in the classroom to wait for him so they could grab lunch together.
After waiting for what felt like an eternity with no sign of Gu Xin, Jiang Chen was just about to face-plant onto his desk for a nap when someone tapped on his table. He used to carry a heavy “don’t come near me” vibe, but after a few incidents, most classmates realized he wasn’t actually unapproachable…he was just perpetually tired. They weren’t afraid to talk to him anymore.
“Jiang Chen,” a classmate said, “someone’s outside looking for you.”
“Oh.” Jiang Chen couldn’t think of anyone who would be looking for him, and he was too lazy to try. He dragged his heavy feet toward the hallway, moving only a fraction faster than a snail. It was an agonizingly slow pace.
The classmates still in the room watched him leave. It wasn’t that Jiang Chen was being treated like a celebrity; it was because the person waiting for him was a gorgeous, elegant sophomore Omega with mixed-race features.
When she saw Jiang Chen step out, she offered a poised, generous smile and got straight to the point. “Hi, Jiang Chen. I wanted to thank you all for stepping in and standing up for me last week.”
Jiang Chen honestly didn’t remember standing up for anyone. He hadn’t given it a second thought. “You are?”
The mixed-race Omega senior froze, her smile nearly cracking at the corners. She hadn’t expected someone as striking as herself to be completely forgotten by a Beta. “Last Friday, at the basketball courts. I was being bothered, and you stepped in to help me. I came to say thank you. I bought some chestnut pastries, I hope you’ll accept them.”
Jiang Chen declined. “Thanks, but we didn’t really do anything. Anyone else would have helped. You can keep the pastries.”
“Well, even if you don’t eat them, your classmate can, right?” she pressed.
Jiang Chen caught her drift immediately. Feigning ignorance, he asked, “My classmate?”
The senior smiled, making no further effort to hide her true intentions. “Gu Xin.”
As it turned out, her presence at the basketball court yesterday had likely been for Gu Xin all along.
The lazy slouch vanished from Jiang Chen’s posture. He fixed his gaze on her, his eyes widening slightly as he said, “He’s allergic to chestnuts. He can’t eat them.”
Realizing she couldn’t quite work her charm on Jiang Chen, and seeing no sign of Gu Xin anywhere, she had no choice but to drop it.
“Alright then. I’ll make sure to find out what he likes next time. Thanks for letting me know, and thank you again for yesterday.”
“No problem,” Jiang Chen replied instantly.
He felt absolutely zero pride about his heroic deed from the day before. Now, it just felt like a hassle.
When Gu Xin finally walked out of the teacher’s office, he spotted Jiang Chen standing in the hallway, looking uncharacteristically alert while chatting with an Omega. He clearly remembered her from the basketball courts yesterday; she was one of the girls Jiang Chen had helped. Jiang Yibai had been rambling about it during the game, and since Jiang Chen was up in the bleachers, Gu Xin had taken a look. Possessing a sharp memory, he recognized her instantly.
He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the girl laughed before turning to leave.
Gu Xin waited until she disappeared down the stairwell before walking over, clapping a hand on Jiang Chen’s shoulder. “Let’s skip eating out today. Let’s just hit the cafeteria.”
Leaning against the railing, Jiang Chen turned his head. “Mm.”
Gu Xin asked casually, “Who was that you were talking to?”
Deep down, Jiang Chen didn’t want Gu Xin getting distracted by any potential high school romance. “Nobody. Just a senior.”
Seeing that he didn’t want to elaborate, Gu Xin didn’t push.
The school’s first cafeteria was a chaotic sea of people. Jiang Chen had to line up for his own food, which meant waiting. As the line crawled forward, Jiang Chen eventually rested his forehead against Gu Xin’s back, using him like a pillar.
“I see university cafeterias online using self-service kiosks now. Why are we still doing this manually?”
Gu Xin bore the full weight of the boy behind him. Perhaps it was the physical contact, but the slight prickle of annoyance from earlier dissolved into nothing.
“It’s only a two-minute wait.”
The girls in the adjacent line kept stealing glances, and a few even secretly filmed them, but both boys completely ignored the attention.
As they neared the front, Jiang Chen peered over Gu Xin’s shoulder and spotted the fried ribs. “I want the fried ribs.”
Unfortunately, the Alpha right ahead of them claimed the last portion before they could reach it.
Jiang Chen looked at Gu Xin, thoroughly heartbroken. “Xin bao, my ribs are gone.” He sounded incredibly aggrieved.
Gu Xin hadn’t expected the student in front to have the exact same craving. “Want something else?”
Jiang Chen settled for the next best thing. “Mm. The large pork chop then.”
Gu Xin used his own tray to snag a piece for him. “What else?”
Jiang Chen started pointing out dishes with his tray. “What do you want? Shredded pork in garlic sauce?”
“Sure,” Gu Xin replied. “Grab a portion of lotus root. Should I get you some chicken wings too?”
“Yeah.” It didn’t matter whose tray the food landed on; they always shared their meals anyway, so they just picked whatever they both liked.
By the time they found a table, Wei Meng was already burping from fullness. “What took you guys so long?”
As Jiang Chen sat down, Gu Xin said, “I’ll go grab us some soup.”
The moment Gu Xin walked away, Wei Meng leaned in with a sly grin. “Chen-er, I heard the sophomore school beauty came to give you pastries. Can I have a bite?”
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes at him. “I didn’t take them. If you want to eat, buy your own. All you think about is freeloading and gossiping.”
Wei Meng adopted a rare look of pure disappointment. “What do you mean freeloading? Don’t you want to start a passionate, unforgettable romance with an older girl?”
Jiang Chen waited for Gu Xin to return before picking up his chopsticks. Resting his chin in his hand, he looked at Wei Meng. “Can you Alphas keep your minds out of the gutter? Just because someone’s an Omega doesn’t mean you have to date them. You shouldn’t be so reckless with your first love.” Besides, that senior was clearly gunning for Gu Xin.
Wei Meng clutched his chest dramatically. “Chen-er, that hurts! I haven’t even had my first love yet.”
Neither have I, Jiang Chen thought, but since he was technically Wei Meng’s “father” in their friend hierarchy, he couldn’t say something so uncool. “Then go find someone and date.”
Gu Xin returned with two bowls of soup, followed by Jiang Yibai, who was carrying an empty tray.
Jiang Yibai, a gossip monger through and through, chimed in, “Date who?”
Still remembering how Jiang Yibai had practically forced him to drink until he was cross-eyed last Friday…resulting in a severe scolding from his mother…Wei Meng instantly snapped, “This is a secret between me and Chen-er. Can’t tell you.”
Gu Xin set the soups down. Jiang Chen automatically pulled one bowl toward himself and handed Gu Xin a pair of chopsticks.
Seeing that the two were about to eat, Jiang Yibai turned to Wei Meng. “Wei Meng, let’s go. Basketball.”
“Let’s do it!” Wei Meng’s eyes lit up at the mention of ball. With Gu Xin sitting out, wouldn’t he be the most handsome Alpha on the court? His chances at a high school romance were looking up!
Yet, the moment the two left the cafeteria, a sudden, mutual wave of loneliness washed over them.
Jiang Yibai sighed deeply. “Ever since we transferred to Third High, Xin-ge hasn’t spared me a single glance.”
Wei Meng sympathized completely. “Our Chen-er hasn’t run to the convenience store with me during recess to buy breakfast in forever, either.”
The two exchanged a look as a glaring, monumental question dawned on them.
Jiang Yibai asked, “Did Jiang Chen ever mention Gu Xin to you before this?”
Wei Meng countered, “Did Gu Xin ever mention Jiang Chen to you before this?”
Both shook their heads simultaneously.
“They are so weird,” Jiang Yibai muttered.
Wei Meng wasn’t the most emotionally perceptive guy, but even he found the situation baffling. He couldn’t wrap his head around it.
But one thing was undeniably clear. “Man,” Wei Meng noted, “they are incredibly close.”
Jiang Yibai patted his shoulder. “Don’t sweat it, man. They grew up together.”
Gu Xin and Jiang Chen finished their lunch before meeting up with the others. No matter how much Gu Xin tried to coax him into playing, Jiang Chen remained utterly unmoved, his resolve iron-clad.
His excuse was the same as always: it was too hot. A shaded patch of grass was the only proper destination for his lunch break.
After playing for half an hour, Gu Xin walked over to the shade, sitting down next to Jiang Chen to drink some water. Jiang Chen’s head was lolling to the side, about to drop, when Gu Xin gently tugged at the fabric of his jacket. Jiang Chen tumbled right against him.
Gu Xin carried the faint scent of a special pheromone blocker a crisp peppermint aroma. The moment Jiang Chen caught the scent, he knew exactly who it was and leaned into him with complete peace of mind.
The grass, the shade, a gentle breeze, and Gu Xin. The four essential elements of a perfect nap were locked in.
He drifted off securely.
With the sounds of boys sprinting across the basketball court in the background, Jiang Chen managed to get a genuinely comfortable nap. Gu Xin didn’t sleep; instead, he tapped away at his phone screen, replying to messages with one hand.
Waking up, Jiang Chen leaned closer to peer at the screen. “What are you doing?”
Gu Xin didn’t have a privacy screen protector, so he let Jiang Chen look freely. “The class officers’ group chat. They’re talking about the school anniversary festival. The class needs to design a bulletin board.”
The moment festivals and chores were mentioned, Jiang Chen lost all interest. He was mostly amazed by how much energy Gu Xin seemed to have. Scanning Gu Xin’s face, he murmured, “Aren’t you tired?”
“I’m fine,” Gu Xin said, keeping his phone open. He had nothing to hide from Jiang Chen anyway.
Jiang Chen noticed another message notification pop up, this one featuring a girl’s avatar. “What’s that group?”
Gu Xin explained patiently, “The teachers assigned me to be one of the hosts for the school anniversary.”
“Who are you hosting with?”
“A sophomore girl, I think. Don’t know her,” Gu Xin replied casually.
Curious, Jiang Chen pressed, “You didn’t add her WeChat privately?”
“I don’t just add random people.”
Jiang Chen pulled his gaze away from the phone, thinking that Gu Xin was surprisingly principled.
As the lunch break ended, the campus radio station began playing music. Wei Meng and Jiang Yibai washed their faces and called them to head back to the classroom.
Having slept for over an hour, Jiang Chen wasn’t tired at all. On the other hand, Gu Xin who had claimed he wasn’t tired earlier immediately collapsed onto his desk, only waking up a mere thirty seconds before the chemistry teacher walked through the door.
So, Xin-bao does get tired. He just likes to act tough.
Feeling like he had uncovered a rival’s secret weakness, Jiang Chen found himself in an excellent mood. He actually stayed wide awake through the entire chemistry period and took meticulous notes, leaving his desk partner entirely shell-shocked.
Over the next few days, Jiang Chen spent his after-school hours doing homework, practicing the piano, and hanging out with Gu Xin. It was a lifestyle completely unbefitting of a textbook slacker.
To make matters worse, he actually had to go to school on Saturday morning for the anniversary program auditions!
Because Gu Xin had to arrive early to practice lines with his co-host, they didn’t walk together.
Ever since Gu Xin transferred over, Jiang Chen had completely disconnected from class activities. He hadn’t even played the role of a background tree before, yet here he was, forcing himself out of bed early on a weekend to perform. It was deeply frustrating.
As he got out of bed, he found himself intensely envious of his younger sister, Jiang Zheng, who got to sleep in. As for his older brother, Jiang Xin, being a high school senior meant their mother had dragged him out of bed at dawn to send him to a cram school though whether it would actually yield any results remained a mystery.
His mother placed a toasted sandwich in front of him and poured a glass of milk. “It’s rare to see you up early. Gu Xin specifically told me to wake you up if you weren’t down by nine.”
Jiang Chen took a sip of milk. “He’s always disciplined.”
His mother immediately shifted into lecture mode. “You should learn a thing or two from him.”
Jiang Chen fired back cleanly, “Can’t. Different genetics.”
Sitting nearby scrolling through the news, his father let out a sudden snort of laughter. This promptly redirected their mother’s lecture toward him, giving Jiang Chen the perfect window to wolf down his food and bolt out the door.
Man, Mom is too noisy.
He had gotten so used to commuting with Gu Xin lately that traveling alone felt strangely unfamiliar.
Since there was still plenty of time before his performance slot, he pedaled his bike leisurely toward the school. He even pulled over at a convenience store to buy a bottle of water. Usually, Gu Xin handled the drinks, but today he decided to be a bit more proactive.
Yet, the moment he stepped out of the convenience store, he spotted a small group standing by an old telephone booth a short distance away. They were puffing on cigarettes, but the instant they locked eyes with Jiang Chen, they threw their cigarettes to the ground and bolted straight toward him!
Jiang Chen cursed his luck. He had run straight into those three absolute idiots from sophomore year.
The auditions were being held in the school auditorium. The students representing each freshman class had already arrived, but Jiang Chen was nowhere to be found.
Gu Xin kept redialing Jiang Chen’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. His WeChat messages remained unread.
It wasn’t until the act right before theirs was about to wrap up that Jiang Chen finally materialized at the auditorium entrance.
Gu Xin hurried over. “What took you so long? Did you oversleep?”
Jiang Chen nodded, breathing heavily. “Yeah. Biked here like a maniac.”
Gu Xin could hear his ragged breathing and see how flustered he was. He reached out to gently rub Jiang Chen’s back to help him catch his breath. “It’s so hot today. Why don’t you take off your jacket?”
The moment Gu Xin’s hand brushed his back, Jiang Chen’s entire frame went rigid. He looked down, a sharp frown crossing his features as he pointedly took a step back to create distance. Turning his back to Gu Xin, he muttered, “No need. I’m not hot.”
Right then, the senior hosting onstage announced their act. Jiang Chen immediately moved past Gu Xin, heading straight for the wings of the stage.
Gu Xin’s fingers curled slightly into his palm before he dropped his hand. He quickly hurried after him.
Jiang Chen had very clearly flinched away from him just now.