we reached a ko-fi goal thanks to diabolomenth and Sandiiiahh 
Thank you both so much!! 💕
In the first semester of the third year of high school, all the S-level alphas were divided into two classes. Xu Ze and He Wei were in Class 1, while Lu Heyang and Gu Yunchi were in Class 2.
On the first morning of school, Xu Ze didn’t show up, and neither did Gu Yunchi. Gu Yunchi had always attended school irregularly, so his absence was normal. Xu Ze, on the other hand, couldn’t come because of his rut. He had planned to come to school, but Lu Heyang told him to rest for one more day.
It was already 9:30 am when he woke up. Thanks to Lu Heyang’s care the day before, he had slept soundly for over ten hours without even dreaming.
But now his whole body was aching.
There was a message from the Preparatory School on his phone, congratulating the students on entering the third year and informing them of the scholarship payments of the past semester. The scholarship for the Preparatory School was funded directly by the Union government, and it had always been generous—it might be a small amount to the other students, but it was substantial to Xu Ze.
He transferred all the scholarship to the nursing home’s account and then got up from bed. There was a pile of fever medicine and suppression patches on the desk that Lu Heyang had sent over later, but there were no inhibitors because they had the most severe side effects.
After washing up, Xu Ze stood in front of the rice cooker staring at the bubbling congee. As the summer vacation had come to an end, there were many things to think about. The early recruitment process for high school students would start in the first semester of the third year and would involve a number of preliminary exams, secondary exams, and interviews. This meant that he couldn’t balance his studies with part-time work.
Even if he worked part-time, there was no job more profitable for him than boxing. But in order to escape from the club and no longer risk his body as he approached the critical exams, Xu Ze could not go back.
After weighing his options like this for a few minutes, Xu Ze turned off the rice cooker and scooped himself a bowl of congee. He planned to go to school after breakfast—there should be important announcements on the first day of school, so it was best to go and listen to them.
The first bad news of the new semester was that He Wei had become his deskmate.
Of course, this wasn’t Xu Ze’s opinion, but rather Lu Heyang’s evaluation.
Xu Ze went upstairs with his backpack. It was the end of the third period. Lu Heyang and He Wei were talking in the hallway by Classroom 1. Xu Ze had just climbed the last step of the stairs when he happened to lock eyes with Lu Heyang.
Xu Ze hadn’t decided how to face Lu Heyang at school and didn’t know what kind of attitude Lu Heyang expected from him, so Xu Ze instinctively chose the easiest reaction—to avoid eye contact, just like when they were complete strangers last semester.
But Lu Heyang looked at him, “Xu Ze.”
Those two words easily pierced through Xu Ze’s stiff acting. He looked at Lu Heyang and walked toward him almost as if he was being pulled by something.
“Bad news.” Lu Heyang said, “He Wei is your deskmate.”
He Wei leaned against the railing and playfully blew a kiss to Xu Ze, “Xiao Ze, give me a smile.”
“Chi Jiahan,” Lu Heyang looked over He Wei’s shoulder, “Upstairs.”
“Xiao Chi!” He Wei whirled around and didn’t even get a clear look at Chi Jiahan’s figure, “Where are you going?”
“Back to class,” Chi Jiahan glanced at Xu Ze and noticed that Xu Ze was completely focused on Lu Heyang without realizing it. Chi Jiahan turned around speechless.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
He Wei followed him like a big-tailed wolf, “What class are you going to? Show me your book.”
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Lu Heyang didn’t think much of it, believing it was an inflamed throat caused by the rut. But when he saw Xu Ze’s stifled expression, he realized and smiled, “Got it. I’ll remember to protect your throat next time.”
Xu Ze looked elsewhere, then asked Lu Heyang in a low voice, “Did I leave any marks on your neck?”
He had noticed that Lu Heyang’s school uniform collar was buttoned all the way up.
“Mn,” Lu Heyang replied nonchalantly.
Xu Ze opened his mouth. Lu Heyang knew what he was going to say just by looking at his expression, so he helplessly intercepted him in time, “You’re not going to apologize for this, right? Just talk less these days and take care of your throat.” Although he knew that Xu Ze wasn’t a talkative person to begin with.
After receiving the instructions, Xu Ze docilely pursed his lips and nodded.
“It’s time for class,” Lu Heyang tapped Xu Ze’s hand lightly as a reminder, “He Wei talks a lot of nonsense, don’t believe a word he says. Don’t let him interfere with your studies.”
Xu Ze felt his finger twitch as he wanted to reach out to the place Lu Heyang had touched, but he restrained the urge. He glanced at Lu Heyang and then really didn’t speak again but nodded and headed for the back of the classroom.
After finding his seat and sitting down, Xu Ze took out his phone and saw the message Lu Heyang had sent ten minutes ago: Remember to take the fever reducer when you wake up. If the teacher has any materials to hand out, I will bring them to you after school.
Xu Ze felt a little regretful.
If he hadn’t come to school today, Lu Heyang could have come to his house to deliver the materials.
During the last morning class, Xu Ze experienced an unexpectedly peaceful time since He Wei was aware that his rut hadn’t ended yet and refrained from disturbing him.
At lunchtime, He Wei patted Xu Ze’s shoulder, “Let’s go to Yunchi’s hotel and have lunch together.”
Xu Ze raised his head, feeling dizzy and weak. He said, “I’m not hungry, you guys go ahead.” He truly wasn’t hungry. He had eaten breakfast late and had no appetite now.
“Sure, then rest for a bit. If you’re still not feeling better, just take some time off and head home.”
Xu Ze replied with an “Mn”, then leaned his head on the table to bury his face in his arms and shut his eyes.
A few minutes later, Xu Ze heard footsteps. Then, he felt a hand resting on the back of his head and sliding down to cover his glands. The palm of the other person’s hand was slightly cooler than the feverish glands and made Xu Ze shiver.
“Feeling uncomfortable?” Lu Heyang asked him.
Xu Ze raised his head. There was a red mark pressed on his forehead. He licked his lips in a daze and said, “A little sleepy.”
“I ordered some snacks and soup for you. The soup is good for your throat, make sure to finish it.” Lu Heyang shifted his gaze away from Xu Ze’s face. He sat down in He Wei’s seat and opened the lunch box. “Take a nap during the lunch break.”
It was a small lunch that suited Xu Ze’s reduced appetite. He smelled a subtle fruity aroma from the soup. His throat strangely started to feel dry, so he wanted to take a sip.
“Okay,” Xu Ze nodded.
“I’m going to have lunch with He Wei,” Lu Heyang stood up. When he saw Xu Ze looking up at him, he ruffled his hair.
Xu Ze was the only one left in the classroom. Most of the others had gone back to eat and rest. Only a few students would eat in the cafeteria and then go back to the classroom to take a nap. Xu Ze drank the soup, lost in thought. He was wearing the wristband that Lu Heyang had given him. Compared to his old wristband, it was much more comfortable to wear, especially during the rut.
He Wei’s seat was lively today, as Chi Jiahan also came and sat down.
He glanced at He Wei’s signature on his homework book and complimented it with a hint of disdain, “The handwriting is quite beautiful.” Then he asked Xu Ze, “Your rut hasn’t passed yet?”
“Mn.”
The lunch box was printed with the logo of a hotel owned by the Gu family—but of course, it couldn’t be that the snacks and soup were sent by Gu Yunchi. Chi Jiahan asked, “Did Lu Heyang have someone bring it to you?”
“…” Xu Ze finally realized to look at the packaging and started searching for the takeout receipt.
“This restaurant doesn’t do deliveries.” Chi Jiahan’s expression said it all, “And the snacks you’re eating are specially prepared by the kitchen…”
“Never mind.” Chi Jiahan said, “Eat it.”
However, Xu Ze seemed unable to continue eating, “Isn’t it expensive?”
“It doesn’t matter, Gu Yunchi won’t make him pay anyway.” Chi Jiahan held back for a moment, but couldn’t help but ask, “What’s the situation between you and Lu Heyang now?”
Last semester, he had only heard that Xu Ze and Lu Heyang would occasionally walk together. How did their relationship progress to the point where he would specially order meals for him during his rut after just one summer vacation? Chi Jiahan didn’t know Lu Heyang well, but he also knew that Lu Heyang wouldn’t care about such things. To some extent, Lu Heyang’s attitude toward relationships wasn’t much different from Xu Ze’s.
As Xu Ze remained silent, Chi Jiahan asked, “Do you think Lu Heyang would like the same sex?”
Xu Ze frowned slightly and replied, “I don’t know.”
“Something… happened between you two, didn’t it?”
Xu Ze’s lack of response to such a question essentially confirmed it. Chi Jiahan took a deep breath before asking, “Are you together?”
“No,” Xu Ze answered quickly and decisively this time as if he didn’t have to think at all.
He thought Chi Jiahan would be angry, but Chi Jiahan relaxed, “That’s good.”
“Just stop here. Don’t date someone from the Lu family. It will lead to unhappiness for both sides,” Chi Jiahan said, “Lu Heyang’s sister was…”
“Never mind,” Chi Jiahan interrupted himself again, he had already said “never mind” twice today. “You actually understand this better than I do.”
It became evident, especially upon discovering Lu Heyang’s background. He was so high up that Xu Ze couldn’t see him even if he raised his head and broke his neck. While some people were brave or ambitious enough to fight their way up the ladder, Xu Ze didn’t fit either category. When the time came, he would gather all traces of Lu Heyang, leap down from the ivory tower that was never truly his, retreat to his modest room to stow away the things in the desk drawer, and shut it. The end.
Chi Jiahan nudged Xu Ze’s wrist to signal him to snap out of his daze and continue eating. Then he changed the subject, “The files have been sent. Which schools are you planning to apply to for early admission?”
“I haven’t looked into it yet,” Xu Ze said.
“You’re not thinking of going to the same university as Lu Heyang, are you?”
“I’m not,” Xu Ze replied. Their futures were clearly heading in two completely different directions. Lu Heyang would most likely go into politics, and the Union University was the best choice. Xu Ze preferred something more professional and technical. Whether it was busy and exhausting didn’t matter, as long as it wasn’t too secluded and remained relatively close to the capital, allowing him to frequently visit his grandmother.
“What about you?” Xu Ze asked Chi Jiahan.
“Doesn’t matter,” Chi Jiahan shrugged, “It’s not up to me anyway.”
–
Lu Qingmo hadn’t visited the capital’s Foreign Affairs University for several years. After her second year of postgraduate studies, Lu Chengyu assigned her to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Union government. She effortlessly became one of the top experts in the field in the entire institute. After graduating, the school invited her to return on multiple occasions to speak as an outstanding graduate and current Union diplomat. Lu Qingmo was surrounded by an air of prestige, yet she consistently avoided it.
She knew why she was apprehensive, revisiting old places could sometimes be cruel.
The multipurpose lecture hall had been renovated, and the sense of familiarity had decreased significantly. Over 300 students from the Foreign Affairs University were seated, each one attentively observing Lu Qingmo. She was accustomed to dealing with nation leaders and solemn situations, so on the contrary, this kind of occasion was rather relaxed for her.
Toward the end of the speech, the door on the right side of the lecture hall was opened and someone quietly walked in—people often came and went during the speech. However, this time, for some unknown reason, Lu Qingmo glanced in that direction—a completely unintentional act that caused her originally fluent speech to stall for two seconds.
Suddenly forgetting what she was supposed to say, she lowered her head stiffly to look at her notes—this was the first time she had looked at her speech script today, only to realize that she had already finished the content of her speech, and now it was time for spontaneous extension.
“Apologies.” Lu Qingmo forced her thoughts back and raised her head with a smile. Her gaze was unfocused as she looked at the audience and continued her speech.
After finishing, Lu Qingmo stayed in the lecture hall for over half an hour to answer students’ questions until the principal approached. She bid farewell to the principal before leaving. Lu Qingmo scanned around the classroom as if searching for someone before leaving, but she was unable to find them. In the end, she pushed the door open and stepped into the hallway, where only a few students remained.
Lu Qingmo lowered her eyes, feeling empty both in her mind and body—a sense of loss and relief.
“Miss Lu.”
Someone called out to her from behind. Lu Qingmo came to an abrupt halt. She repeated the voice in her mind before turning around.
Han Jian was holding a teaching plan in his hand and slowly walking toward her with a slight limp on his left leg. There was still a soft smile on his face, “You’re walking so fast, I can’t catch up.”
I feel so bad for them…. I really wanna beat their dad up…
Thank you for the chapter
This story is so wholesome. I just love all the characters. Thank you so much for this wonderful translation.
I can’t remember..who is Han Jian?
He’s Lu Qingmo’s ex. We don’t know much about him at this point other
than he has a limp in his leg and he’s a teacher. If you don’t remember,
he appeared first in chapter 49.
Thx, I remembered it was his ex but I wondered who he was, turned out we don’t know yet 😆