Song Yize stared at the chat screen that had been left unanswered for a long time, then silently switched his screen to the physics competition problems.

Actually, Song Yize regretted sending the message right after he sent it.

It felt like he had teased him a bit too much.

The air conditioner kept blowing cool air, and the math teacher was explaining the last major derivative problem from the previous quiz.

Song Yize opened the latest test paper from the Physics Competition Group, resting his head on one hand while the other swiftly moved across the scratch paper.

He wrote out large chunks of equations, but the problem still wasn’t solved.

Song Yize had always been the most patient type—if given enough time, he could stay put in his seat and grind through the calculations.

This time, he was lucky. After completing the integral, the application part below flowed smoothly to a solution.

Song Yize looked at the page filled with scribbled calculations, he let out a breath, his long legs slightly bent and crossed under the desk with nowhere else to go.

He switched back to the chat screen again but still didn’t see Ning Xi’s reply.

He’s probably paying attention in class.

Song Yize suddenly felt that expecting someone in the middle of a lecture to reply was somewhat shameful. So, he put his phone away, lifted his head, and decided to listen to the math teacher’s lecture.

The class bell rang right on time.

According to the arrangement of remaining in school during vacation, the two afternoon classes were followed by self-study.

Song Yize gathered up the papers on his desk, just about to stand up and hand in his competition paper when Ren Siyu slowly walked up to his desk.

She lowered her head and pressed her lips together. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she looked as if she wanted to speak but couldn’t.

Ren Siyu had been restless since the morning, her thoughts constantly drifting back to the scene of Song Yize putting a suppression patch on an Omega during class.

She and Song Yize had been classmates since middle school.

To Ren Siyu, Song Yize’s life seemed to be on cheat mode. Ever since he started participating in competitions, he had been winning awards effortlessly.

As long as he achieved an ideal ranking in the national competition this September, he would qualify for a 30-point reduction in the admission score for Renmin University.

That was practically a guaranteed acceptance.

Ren Siyu admitted that she had an indescribable fondness for Song Yize.

Even though she was just a Beta, she was still a girl.

She felt that no girl would ever reject an outstanding Alpha who was both good-looking and a xueba.^[1]Top student.

But…

But if God Ze had found a partner, she would still sincerely give him her best wishes.

“Yize…” Ren Siyu’s voice was very small. “I have something to tell you…”

Song Yize looked at Ren Siyu and said, “Go ahead.”

Ren Siyu tugged at her sleeve, instinctively hunching her shoulders, as if mustering up great courage, and said, “Yize, congratulations ah. You found such a great partner!”

Song Yize: “?”

Ren Siyu’s lips were trembling, and after saying it, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

Her years of secret admiration had finally come to an end. Now, she could focus on her studies and prepare for the college entrance exam with peace of mind.

But what Song Yize said next shattered her entire worldview.

Song Yize: “I don’t have a partner.”

“Huh?” Ren Siyu was stunned.

No partner? What does he mean by no partner?

So what he meant was, that Omega wasn’t his boyfriend, but he still helped him put on a suppression patch?

Why was her God Ze being so casual ah!

“You don’t have a partner? How could you not have a partner!” Ren Siyu didn’t know why, but her eyes were welling up with tears.

After knowing Song Yize for so many years, she had always thought he was the kind of person who, despite looking cold and indifferent, never meddled in others’ business, would help if someone asked—an upstanding, morally righteous, and honorable man.

Would an Alpha like that really do something so intimate with an Omega he wasn’t even in a confirmed relationship with?

Song Yize was puzzled. “Am I supposed to have a partner?”

There was nothing wrong with that sentence, but to Ren Siyu, it sounded incredibly scummy ah.

Her little world had already started spinning its own little theater of Song Yize, with his righteous-looking face, luring an innocent little Omega, playing the role of a love scammer, and then running away afterward.

Ren Siyu had never been involved in any social circles, but in just one morning, the male god she had admired for years had completely collapsed.

Ren Siyu was so devastated that she couldn’t hold back her tears.

With all her strength, she slammed her hand on Song Yize’s desk and, choking up, shouted, “You scummy Alpha!”

Maybe it was because she sounded too aggrieved—within an instant, all forty-something students in the class turned their heads in unison to look at Song Yize.

The previously noisy classroom fell into dead silence.

The experimental class students all glanced toward Song Yize’s seat; no one dared to open their mouths to speak.

Song Yize: “…”

What exactly had he done?

Ren Siyu noticed everyone’s gazes and felt a little embarrassed. Flustered, she hurriedly ran out of the classroom.

The person in question, Song Yize, was instantly exposed to everyone.

The person himself was silent.

“Ze-ge, how could you make the class monitor cry!”

Zhang Qiang was the very definition of a social cow. He pushed through the crowd and walked up to Song Yize, saying, “How could you treat a girl like that!”

Song Yize: “…”

He really didn’t know why she said that.

The whole class was watching that area, ready to eat melon at any moment.

Seeing that Song Yize was out of it, Zhang Qiang waved his hand at the class. “Alright, alright, back to studying if you’re supposed to study, go to the restroom if you need to—nothing to see here, move along~”

Hearing that, everyone sensibly turned back to their own tasks.

Zhang Qiang bent down, leaned over Song Yize’s desk, stretched his neck forward, and said, “I say, Ze-ge, tell me what you did to the class monitor. I promise I won’t spread it…”

Before Zhang Qiang could finish, Song Yize stood up and headed toward the door. “I’m going to submit my test paper.”

“Hey, wait.” Zhang Qiang called after him, lowering his voice but still making sure it carried, “Shouldn’t you apologize to the class monitor ya!”

Song Yize didn’t catch what he said and continued walking toward the office.

—

At that moment, Ning Xi was standing by the office door, leaning against the window railing while writing a self-reflection essay.

Seriously, what luck ah.

Ning Xi spun his pen, not knowing where to start on the self-reflection paper that had now been extended to 8,000 words.

Song Yize’s message had really come at the worst possible time—not to mention, the content was completely inappropriate.

That “Husband, saranghaeyo” sticker. Seriously, just because of that, Director Liu thought he was in a relationship and dragged him straight to the teachers’ office.

Ning Xi sighed, racking his brain for some half-hearted sentences and painstakingly weaving them into his self-reflection essay.

Class ended, and more students started filling the hallway. At the peak of the afternoon heat, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a long, golden streak across the desk.

Following the warm, orange light, Ning Xi slowly lifted his head. Through the slit, he could see lush green branches against a backdrop of blue sky and white clouds.

Memories of his senior year in high school started resurfacing. Staring at the late July clouds, he momentarily lost himself in thought.

“What are you doing here?”

A voice snapped him back to reality.

The faint scent of ebony and citrus drifted over. Ning Xi turned his head and saw Song Yize standing at the doorway, holding a test paper.

“Ah, I’m writing a self-reflection.” Ning Xi paused and asked, “Hey, why are you here?”

Seeing him standing by the window, Song Yize asked, “How’s your foot?”

“It’s fine, I can move around normally,” Ning Xi said with a smile. “Ugh, I was caught texting in class by Director Liu, so now I have to write this reflection here.”

Ning Xi didn’t want to mention that he was being suspected of dating. No matter what Song Yize thought, he’d rather keep things simple.

“How many words are you going to write?”

“8,000.” Ning Xi said nonchalantly.

8,000 words, that was too much.

Hearing that, Song Yize frowned slightly. “You got caught texting because of me, didn’t you?”

Ning Xi looked at him.

Song Yize turned and started walking toward the door. “I’ll go talk to Director Liu.”

When Ning Xi heard this, he was so scared that he grabbed Song Yize’s arm and said in a lowered voice, “Oh my god, ancestor, there’s no need for that ya. You absolutely cannot go ah!”

If he went, wouldn’t that basically confirm they were dating?

If that happened, there’d be no way to clear his name, not even if he jumped into the Yellow River.

“Why not? You were obviously texting me. Why should you be the only one writing a reflection?” Song Yize said righteously.

But the nature was different now ah.

Director Liu thought he was flirting with his boyfriend during class ah!

“What’s wrong with your brain ah? Why are you so eager to write a reflection?” Ning Xi waved him off. “If you’ve got time, you’d be better off solving more competition problems. Writing a reflection, seriously?”

Song Yize: “And if you have time, then writing a reflection is fine?”

Ning Xi couldn’t answer for a moment.

Coincidentally, Director Liu happened to walk by at that exact moment. Seeing the two students tugging at each other by the office door, he called out, “Ning Xi, is your reflection done yet!”

Ning Xi froze. He quickly let go of Song Yize’s arm and turned around sheepishly. “I’m still working on it.”

Director Liu walked over, and when he saw Song Yize standing beside him, his expression softened a little. “Yize, you’re here to submit your competition paper, right?”

“Director Liu, I…” Song Yize had just opened his mouth to mention the texting incident when Ning Xi ruthlessly stomped on his foot from behind.

Song Yize turned his head, only to see that the normally cute and well-behaved Ning Xi was now giving him a murderous glare that clearly said, “Say it and you’re dead.”

Song Yize forcibly swallowed his words. “…I’m here to submit my competition paper.”

“Oh, that’s good then.” Director Liu smiled before turning to Ning Xi. “You should learn more from Song Yize. I’ve been meaning to ask, where’s your school uniform? How can a high school student not wear their uniform ah?”

“Director, I…” Ning Xi started, wanting to explain that he was a transfer student and hadn’t received a uniform yet.

“Don’t bother explaining, there’s no reason for it.” Director Liu cut him off mercilessly. He truly lived up to his reputation. “If you want to explain, add another 2,000 words to your reflection and write a proper explanation in there.”

Ning Xi: “…”

“You have ten minutes. Go put on your uniform,” Director Liu ordered. Then, as if it were an afterthought, he added to Song Yize, “Keep an eye on him. If he doesn’t have it on in ten minutes, I’m deducting his points.”

Song Yize: “…”

The two stood in place, watching Director Liu’s figure disappear into the distance. Then, they turned to look at each other.

After a moment, Ning Xi ran a pale, slender hand through his dark hair, his expression carrying a trace of suppressed frustration.

He spoke up, “How about… you lend me a uniform first?”

---

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Song Yize’s inner thoughts: Why is everyone acting so weird lately…