Chapter 51: Take First Place, Okay?

“Yes!” Ji Laili repeated, his eyes sparkling. “I already have a little O I like.”

He didn’t want Shen Yu to think he had any inappropriate thoughts.

What if his little butterfly got mad and distanced himself?

Even if it wasn’t about the mission, just the thought of Shen Yu avoiding him made Ji Laili incredibly sad.

But if he already had someone he liked, things would be different, right?

That would mean he wouldn’t have any improper thoughts about Shen Yu.

They could stay friends forever.

As this thought crossed his mind, an inexplicable sense of loss washed over him, making him feel dejected.

His bright, curved eyes lost their shape as he lowered his gaze, blinking uncertainly.

Because of this, he missed the expression on the other side.

There was no sign of relief or trust, as he had expected.

The breathtaking smile from earlier had vanished—almost as if it had never existed.

In its place, a deep, chilling gaze rested on Shen Yu’s pale and delicate face.

Cold. Inhumanly so.

Anyone who saw Shen Yu at this moment would have been terrified.

He looked horrifying.

His deathly pale skin, usually flawless, now seemed like the fragile shell of a venomous snake, cracking slightly to reveal something dark and toxic underneath.

A little O that he likes?

Shen Yu’s breath hitched. A powerful wave of emotion surged within him, making the corners of his eyes instantly flush red.

Strangely enough, for once, he didn’t feel the urge to cry.

He held back his tears, the sour sting of jealousy swelling in his chest. His limbs went numb, his entire body tingling with an unsettling sensation—the panic of having something precious stolen from him.

Shen Yu forced himself to suppress these emotions while etching this feeling into his memory.

After a long silence, his voice finally came, barely audible.

“That’s unexpected… Who is it?”

【Male Lead’s Darkening Value +10】

【Male Lead’s Darkening Value +20】

The skyrocketing numbers startled Ji Laili.

When he looked up, Shen Yu appeared just as usual—cold and beautiful, like a sculpture carved from ice and snow.

The only difference was the faint redness lingering at the corners of his eyes.

Ji Laili stared at that hint of red for a few seconds, but since Shen Yu didn’t seem upset, he felt confused.

What’s going on?

“You can’t tell me?” Shen Yu’s dark eyes flickered with an unsettling gleam.

Ji Laili hesitated for a moment before realizing that he didn’t even know who he supposedly liked.

He mumbled vaguely, “They’re a really good person. I’ll tell you next time.”

Quickly, he shifted the topic to training. “Should we start training?”

“Brother Po and the others take this competition seriously. I need to as well. We don’t even know what the assessment will be.”

He just wanted to end this conversation as soon as possible.

Luckily, his little butterfly was still as understanding as ever, following along with the change in topic.

“It’s a field exercise. Very simple,” Shen Yu replied.

“As for this dorm room, it’s just a perk of being first place.”

Having held first place year after year, Shen Yu’s comment was nonchalant. Then, he said softly, “You’ll be first.”

Ji Laili, who had been trying to divert Shen Yu’s attention, found his own focus shifting instead.

The chestnut-haired boy grinned, both embarrassed and proud.

“You have way too much faith in me.”

His light-colored eyes curved into crescents, shimmering like scattered stardust—all of it reflecting in Shen Yu’s dark, ink-black gaze.

Shen Yu asked softly, “Then, will you be first?”

Before Ji Laili could hesitate, the usually icy youth curled his lips into a stunning smile—both a plea and a silent temptation.

“Take first place for me, okay?”

Ji Laili, like a little puppy, was instantly dazed and delighted. “Okay!”

—

Three Days Later

In the blink of an eye, the highly anticipated assessment day arrived.

For ease of movement during combat, the new cadets had swapped their standard military uniforms for dark blue tactical bodysuits.

The snug fit outlined the lean, athletic builds of the boys, and each of them wore protective goggles resting just above their brows.

Ji Laili’s chestnut curls peeked out rebelliously from under his dark blue goggles, a few stray strands falling over his forehead.

His light-colored eyes, slightly drowsy, shimmered under the morning sun.

He looked every bit like a youthful teenager.

Yawning, he trudged at the very back of the formation, flanked by Lei Po on his left and Zhai Yifei on his right.

“Did you go rob a bank last night?” Lei Po raised an eyebrow. “Guess I’ll just take first place then.”

Ji Laili turned his head, the curls under his goggles bouncing slightly as he grinned. “It hasn’t started yet, Brother Po. We’ll see who wins.”

“Tch.” Lei Po tilted his chin up arrogantly. “That’s the attitude I like. Much better than before.”

“Before?” Ji Laili asked curiously. “What do you mean?”

“You were too calm,” Zhai Yifei chimed in with a small smile. “In the eyes of this reckless, arrogant Alpha, you looked like you already had first place in the bag.”

Ji Laili suddenly understood.

Then, he half-lowered his gaze and wordlessly stared at Lei Po, who was now wide-eyed in shock.

“Brother, you’re so boring.”

Lei Po, having been completely exposed, first shot an annoyed glare at Zhai Yifei before shamelessly defending himself.

“Boring?! How is aiming for first place boring?!”

“Lailai, you’ve never fought tooth and nail for first place, so you don’t get it. Some people…”

Lei Po smirked, jerking his chin toward Zhai Yifei. “Even if they risk their lives, they still can’t snatch it.”

Faced with the provocation, Zhai Yifei’s polite smile turned slightly sinister. “Then, let’s see who takes first this time.”

And just like that… they were at it again.

But…

“Brother Po, you guessed wrong. This time, I’m going all out too.”

Under the slightly surprised gazes of the two, the young man grinned with unrestrained confidence, playfully blinking his left eye. His small canine tooth rested against his lip, sharp and gleaming.

“From now on, the real competition begins.”

“Don’t get too possessive over my first place~”

With his goggles resting above his eyes, he curved his lips into a smirk, his brows raised in bold defiance. His arrogance was dazzling—so much so that it left people momentarily stunned.

The instructor’s voice rang out from the front. With a flick of his hand, he waved at them with high spirits before dashing toward the gathering point.

Lei Po unconsciously dropped his arms from where they were crossed over his chest and straightened his posture.

The usual cocky and unruly expression on his face gradually turned serious.

After a moment, he let out a low chuckle and muttered, “This guy… when he gets serious, he actually looks the part.”

“Maybe… he’s the real rival.”

Zhai Yifei gazed at the retreating figure in the distance, the corners of his lips faintly curling up.

“Lei Po, looks like the title of ‘Eternal Second Place’ is about to be yours.”

With that, he stepped forward and walked ahead.

“Hey!”

Lei Po gritted his teeth, shoving his hands into his pockets, his expression arrogant as he shouted at the figure in front of him:

“You think you can beat me?”

“Stop being so full of yourself, Young Master Zhai!”

A voice lazily floated back from the front.

“Whether it’s me or Laili who beats you, the title of ‘Eternal Second Place’ still suits you best, you brainless Alpha.”

“Tch. Arrogant.”

Lei Po sneered but picked up his pace to follow.

The group of Alphas merged into the sea of dark blue uniforms, standing tall and unwavering. Among them, Cadet #421 stood with perfect posture, goggles secured atop his head, his gaze unwavering with fierce determination.

From the topmost small broadcasting device, the familiar voice of Instructor Aiger echoed—

“All 421 freshmen, ready!”

“In position!”

The Alphas responded in unison, their collective presence overwhelming.

“Good.”

“Then, I now declare—the assessment officially begins!”

“Yes, sir!”

Ji Laili shouted along with the crowd, his slender fingers pulling down his goggles.

Just before his eyes were completely covered, he cast one last glance at the hovering surveillance camera above—his brows arched, his smile brilliant and radiant.

He would definitely take first place!