The week before the final exams, their reviewing reached its climatic stage.
Even Zhang Ke didn't dare to copy any homework, dragging his pile of test papers full of wrong answers every day to Yang YiLe to diligently ask questions.
The others who didn't like studying, in this type of tense atmosphere, were all infected by the ones who loved to learn to some extent, so practically no one was going out to play ball during the lunch breaks.
Even if they wanted to go, they couldn't, because the teachers from all the subjects were always scrambling into the classroom, each wanting to explain things even more and raise their own subject's average score.
As the teacher in charge of their class, Lao Wu's time was the most vulnerable, having to give priority to the other teachers' demands. Even during the last lunch break, there was no break, as he pitifully used half of the session to discuss the unfinished practice exams.
For the remaining half, a pre-exam general meeting was held.
"Everyone knows that these exams are very important. So this weekend, don't even think about going out.
Last time, for the midterm exams, I saw some tongxue who went out to play at an escape room on the weekend before the exam, even daring to post about it on their Friend Circle. Did you really think I wouldn't know?"
Yang YiLe lowered his head in shame, his face flushing bright red.
Zhang Ke whispered, "Fuck, who posted about it? Traitor!"
Guo ZhiXiong said, "Seems like I might've forgotten to block Lao Wu......"
Wu GuoZhong switched topics of discussion. "Of course, don't be too stressed either. Moderation in relaxation is still needed. I suggest you go out and stroll in the park, bask in the sun, play weiqi¹......
Don't just always play that stimulating stuff. It'll make you easily frightened, give you a weak heart, then your brain will wither and your physique will worsen......"
Speaking of stimulating their hearts to race, this was extremely alarmist talk. It could basically be called a threat.
-
After the 20-minute brainwashing meeting ended, the class 1 students were scared stiff by that bluff.
Zhang Ke said, "Lao Wu's conman skills are getting better and better...... So worthy of being a Chinese language and literature teacher, he can really fabricate lies."
He turned his head and caught sight of Jiang Yao pushing Yin Che forward using his schoolbag, though the latter seemed to be very unwilling.
"Stop!" Zhang Ke slid over, "Where do you think you're taking our Che Ge?"
Han Meng also turned his head, "Yeah, didn't Che Ge want to return home, why are you going with him?"
Jiang Yao replied, "It's our little secret, I won't tell you all." After saying that, he pulled on the strap of Yin Che's schoolbag and forcibly pulled him out of the classroom.
Zhang Ke folded his hand under his chin thoughtfully, "Don't you think those two have been acting weird lately?"
Han Meng replied, "Yeah, a little. Wasn't Jiang Yao chasing Bai YuWei before? Why have the rumors completely stopped about that? Now he just hangs around Yin Che all day long."
Zhang Ke said, "Do you think it's possible......"
Han Meng replied, "It's impossible."
Zhang Ke said again, "Then, do you think it's possible......"
Han Meng cut him off again, "It's impossible."
Zhang Ke snapped, "I didn't fucking finish yet."
Han Meng said, "I already know what you're going to say. It's impossible. Didn't Jiang Yao say every day that he was looking for an omega who's beautiful, virtuous, and able to give birth? Could his tastes change so drastically?
Even if his taste did change that much, do you really think Che Ge's tastes would change so much that he'd like an alpha?"
Zhang Ke thought it over for a few seconds, then nodded and said resolutely, "It's impossible."
-
After leaving through the school gate, they went to the subway station 700 meters to the west.
Yin Che and Jiang Yao walked side by side, the setting sun stretched their shadows out long and thin behind them.
"Why didn't you ask the tongxue?"
"I don't want to disturb their studying."
"Then you're fine to disturb my studying?"
"Do you need to study?" Jiang Yao tilted his head to the side. "The math practice exam for today, you have it in your room. I think you already did it and definitely got full marks. How could you not score more than a 110 this time?"
Yin Che said casually, "I did do that, but I already forgot about it."
Jiang Yao turned around, moved over in front of him, and then walked backwards, "Brat, I think there are all sorts of unsolved mysteries about you......"
Yin Che breezed by him, "You think too much."
Jiang Yao once more got in front and blocked his way, "Then answer me this, why do you hate having alphas touch you so much? Why are you such a fearless man²but are still afraid of electricity? Why do you deliberately get average scores when you're so obviously intelligent? Why......"
"Why do you have so many 'whys'?" Yin Che asked in reply, "Why should I tell you why?"
"......"
Jiang Yao was stunned into silence.
They reached the subway station just at peak rush hour as people got off work and students got out of school. The waiting areas on both sides of the track were full of people and as soon as the subway doors opened, people rushed in like a swarm of bees.
There was nowhere to stand and they couldn't even think about getting a seat.
The two of them waited for several subway trains to go by and got in a car with relatively few people.
Yin Che leaned in the corner, holding his school bag, wearing his school uniform, his expression cold and indifferent.
Jiang Yao noticed that several female students in the car lift their phones, pretending to look at themselves in the front camera like a mirror, with their back camera facing their direction.
He took a step over and stood in front of his deskmate.
"............you sick?"
"Ah, speaking of illness," Jiang Yao naturally led the conversation, "last time your di mentioned a doctor who can cure your unmentionable illness?"
Yin Che blinked slightly in surprise, remaining silent.
Jiang Yao had an obvious look of expectation in his eyes, "After you're cured, will you have pheromones?"
"......uh huh, probably." Yin Che suddenly felt incredibly annoyed deep down. Some things that he'd already accepted as reality could change. His parents were very happy about it, but he couldn't make himself feel happy. "But I don't actually want to be treated."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because to be cured, I might have to suffer. I'd rather not be treated." (t/n: the phrase YC uses for 'rather not be treated' could also mean 'rather die than be treated')
"Then......" Jiang Yao thought it over for a while, "Then if you'd rather not be treated, does this illness have any bad effects on you? Besides the pheromone deficiency."
"It does."
"Are they strong effects?"
"Very strong." Yin Che looked hard at him, "I'm going to give up a lot of things I could've had."
Jiang Yao thought for a long time before saying, "So it all depends on whether you're willing to suffer for those things. Anyway, no matter what decision you make, as long as it doesn't affect your health, I'll support you all the way."
When the subway arrived at a certain station in the business district, dozens of people suddenly rushed in and the car was immediately filled to the brim.
Incessantly pushed forward by the people behind him, Jiang Yao almost knocked into Yin Che in front of him. As a result, he used both hands to hold himself up against the wall, forming a small safe space for his deskmate to stand.
"See this, this is my boyfriend power."
Yin Che didn't reply. He looked a little absent-minded, who knew what he was thinking about.
Jiang Yao looked at the tufts of hair sticking up on the top of his head, trembling along with the shaking of the subway, giving off an adorable vibe.
He stared for a long time and, the next time the subway started shaking and swaying, he stealthily swayed forward and kissed those strands of hair.
-
After getting off the subway, they also had to take a cab before arriving at the villa party house that Zhao Cheng had booked.
There were board games, karaoke, a private theater, and rooms so they could stay overnight.
Zhao Cheng knew about the kinds of places where people could eat, drink, and party the best, so he'd already agreed to book this popular luxurious party house a long time ago, with an overnight booking.
Jiang Yao took off his glasses before entering the door, also pushing his bangs back.
Yin Che studied the handsome face that had suddenly appeared, "......are your glasses and bangs some kind of camouflage trick? How is there such a big difference?"
Jiang Yao laughed, "I found a specialized stylist to help plan it. He said that if some part of a person's body is particularly prominent, as long as that part is covered up, they will immediately become mediocre."
"So that's why you cover your eyes?"
"So that's why I put on clothes."
Yin Che took a long time to understand what he was talking about and react, kicking out at him, "Vulgar."
"I'm talking about my physique, what part were you thinking about?"
In the villa, Zhao Cheng and the others had already arrived a long time ago and were playing with cards.
Wailing like from ghosts and howling like from wolves came through the wall from the guys singing in the karaoke room next door.
"Yao Ge!" Zhao Cheng walked over from the board game area with a smile on his face. When he caught sight of Yin Che behind Jiang Yao, his smile stagnated, becoming a little embarrassed.
Last time when he'd said he wanted to pursue Yin Che, Jiang Yao had shut him down, but in the end, it hadn't taken him very long to find a new target to pursue. So facing Yin Che right now, his mood was a bit awkward.
Fortunately, Yin Che didn't know anything about that, so he greeted him like normal, "Hello."
Jiang Yao put an arm around his shoulders, "What are you playing?"
Zhao Cheng had a straightforward temperament. Seeing that neither of them had any issue with it, the awkward embarrassment from before vanished into thin air.
"Calculating 24. You coming over, Yao Ge?"
(t/n: Calculating 24: a game where people figure out ways to reach 24 using multiplication, arithmetic, or formulas. I assume they're using the cards as starting numbers.)
Yin Che looked over at the "bad boys" sitting on the sofa with dyed and permed hair and punk clothes. Their long winter sleeves were rolled up high, exposing their strong muscles. Each and every one looked like a member of the Underworld. They were all very tense, as if they were in the fight of their lives:
"Four to the power of two is sixteen. If you divide that by three and multiply by two, isn't it twenty-four? Why not?"
"You can only add, subtract, multiply and divide, how can you use exponentials!"
"Why not? We aren't primary school students anymore, can't we be a little more advanced?"
"Then if you're going to say that, I should've been able to do it in the first round. Our team should have one more point!"
......
This spectacle was magical.
"Why are you playing that?" Jiang Yao asked, "Didn't you all just finish your exams this week, don't you want to just relax?"
Eighth High wasn't participating in the unified district exam this time, so they'd set their own exam time and finished their exam period one week earlier than First High. The next semester would start early over the next two weeks.
Zhao Cheng replied, "Don't even bring that up. Those exams were fucking difficult. I think I'm going to fall out of the top 50 in the grade. The xiongdi also feel hopeless, not sure if they'll achieve the goal you set of being in the top 250 in the grade. Originally they were going to be doing practice exams again today, but I made them stop."
(t/n: 250 in slang means 'stupid person', so that's probably why JY picked it lol)
Yin Che tried to imagine the sight of this group of "bad boys" drinking beer and rapidly working through practice exams.
He felt a little suspicious of this world he'd walked into.
"Your xiongdi are all that studious?" he asked.
Jiang Yao laughed, "It's not that my xiongdi are studious, but that they can't be my xiongdi if they aren't studious."
Zhao Cheng explained, "It's very difficult to become a member of Yao Ge's xiongdi group. If you don't know how to study and only know how to fight and cause trouble, don't even think about it. If you do worse than before on exams, you might get kicked out, so that's why everyone studies hard."
Yin Che glanced at the person next to him, "I didn't expect you to be like that, Yao Ge."
Jiang Yao's heart trembled and he went dizzy. "Call me that again."
"What?"
"Call me Yao Ge."
"Yao Ge!" Zhao Cheng shouted out immediately.
"......who the hell asked you to say it."
"?" Zhao Cheng felt wronged, "Does it make a difference who says it?"
Jiang Yao's good mood had been ruined by him. "Forget it. Let's go, we'll play too."
The group of guys on the sofa finally settled their debate, deciding to use advanced arithmetic now, and restarted the game.
Fully focused on the game, when Jiang Yao walked over and they caught sight of him, they all immediately put down the cards and shouted, "Yao Ge!"
Yin Che realized that Jiang Yao's popularity and reputation among these xiongdi was higher than an ordinary person's.
He was the only person that Jiang Yao had brought, but the guys around him immediately treated him differently, voluntarily offering their seats to him.
Yin Che sat next to a guy with a tattoo on his wrist.
"He's a beta, don't worry," Jiang Yao made sure to say.
"Hello, my name is Huang Jun." The guy gave him a friendly smile, "I heard from Zhao Cheng that Yao Ge has a particularly close deskmate at First High, is that you?"
"A deskmate is a deskmate, whether we're particularly close or not doesn't matter."
"CheChe has a sharp tongue but a soft heart³," Jiang Yao interjected from beside him.
"I wasn't talking to you."
"Oh........."
Huang Jun, who'd never seen such a well-behaved and obedient Yao Ge, was shocked body and soul and couldn't hold himself back, "Fu-"
Jiang Yao immediately looked over at him again, "Don't curse in front of my deskmate."
Huang Jun swallowed back the rest of the word immediately.
Yin Che said, "Don't you usually say 'fuck' in front of me all the time?"
Jiang Yao replied without thinking, "That's different, you're my deskmate, I'm the only one who can say fuck." (t/n: 'say fuck' can also mean 'do it' as in......perform the fucking, lol)
Yin Che: "......"
Huang Jun: "......"
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Footnotes:
1. Weiqi (围棋): the game typically referred to as Go ↩
2. Fearless man (天不怕地不怕就): idiom, afraid of nothing in the heavens or on earth ↩
3. Sharp tongue... (刀子嘴豆腐心): literally mouth as sharp as a knife but a heart as soft as tofu; more bark than bite ↩
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Well JY isn't a suave big bad wolf yet, he's still an awkward puppy~
He really is the son of ShaoYan and Wang Zhe