Shen Nanxing wasn’t in the class group chat, so he had no idea what they were gossiping about. If he knew someone was trying to pair him with a top-tier imperial Alpha, he’d probably be scared to death.

One of the girls, barely able to contain her excitement, gathered her courage and approached Shen Nanxing. Pointing to the empty seat beside him, she asked, “Hello, classmate. Is this seat taken?”

Out of politeness, Shen Nanxing gave a slight smile. “No.”

His smile was faint, but the dimple on his left cheek subtly appeared.

That smile was a killer. The girl finally understood what it meant to be “visually attacked by beauty.”

*【He even has a dimple when he smiles—this is just too gorgeous!】*

Suppressing her grin, the girl continued, “Then… can I sit here?”

“Go ahead.”

Under the envious gazes of her classmates, she sat beside Shen Nanxing.

In just two class periods, Shen Nanxing had gained a lot—just not academically.

Xie Ling, the girl who had sat next to him, was outgoing and full of energy. She had a knack for keeping conversations flowing. From her, Shen Nanxing learned all sorts of gossip:

– The East Campus used to be a cemetery, and mysterious figures had reportedly been seen there at night.
– Professor Li from the Architecture Department was actually bald, and his wig was his last attempt to hold onto dignity.
– Fu Chengyu, a second-year senior from the Finance Department, was rumored to be engaged already.

Xie Ling was a top-tier face enthusiast, and in front of someone like Shen Nanxing, she couldn’t resist spilling everything she knew. She chatted away endlessly, while Shen Nanxing nodded politely every now and then, occasionally offering a response.

When class finally ended, Xie Ling suddenly smacked her forehead, startling Shen Nanxing.

Noticing his confused gaze, she gave an awkward smile and explained, “I just remembered—aren’t you still not in the class group chat? Want me to add you?”

After a bit of investigating, Xie Ling had figured out why she hadn’t seen Shen Nanxing before. Since the start of freshman year, he had missed the opening ceremony and military training due to health reasons, which led to him missing out on a lot of class updates.

Shen Nanxing nodded slightly. “That would be great, thank you.”

He then took out his phone, opened WeChat, and handed it to her with a QR code for adding contacts.

Seeing the friend request, Xie Ling’s heart skipped a beat as she quickly took out her own phone and added him.

After they became friends, Xie Ling pulled him into the class group chat.

After saying their goodbyes, Shen Nanxing left the classroom with his backpack.

Once he was gone, Xie Ling was still basking in the joy of having added his WeChat.

Her best friend, Fang Yanran, clung to her arm, shaking it while demanding, “Lingling! Spill it! What did you find out?”

Xie Ling, still starry-eyed, replied, “Yanran, did you see it? When he smiled at me, he had a dimple! It totally hit me right in the heart. I wonder which top-tier Alpha will get to claim this sweet little omega.”

Xie Ling sighed while mentally sorting through who might be the most suitable match for Shen Nanxing.

As a dedicated fujoshi, she was almost certain Shen Nanxing was not straight.

Fang Yanran nodded in agreement at first but then playfully tapped Xie Ling’s head.

“Girl, snap out of it! This is the real world, not some ABO novel you read!”

—

Meanwhile, Shen Nanxing left the academic building, only for his stomach to grumble.

He had been eating healthy meal plans at home every day, so bland that he felt like his taste buds had gone numb. All he could think about was fried chicken.

As he passed the school’s food street, the rich aroma of fried chicken cutlets filled the air. Shen Nanxing felt like if he didn’t hold on to the last shred of his sanity, he might start crying tears of longing.

*【I can’t eat it. But looking won’t hurt, right?】*

He stood in front of the fried chicken shop for several minutes, practically glued to the spot, before reluctantly turning to leave.

From a short distance away, Zhou He had been observing every movement with a fond smile.

He chuckled to himself. “Still the same as when you were a kid—completely unable to resist fried chicken.”

Stepping forward, Zhou He gently patted Shen Nanxing’s shoulder from behind.

Startled, Shen Nanxing reflexively turned around, only to see no one there. Thinking he had imagined it, he frowned in confusion and continued walking forward.

Suppressing his laughter, Zhou He tapped his right shoulder this time.

Again, Shen Nanxing turned around but saw no one.

Muttering under his breath, “It’s broad daylight… Am I seeing ghosts?”

Zhou He finally burst out laughing. “Come on, can’t you just turn your head a few more degrees?”

Recognizing the voice, Shen Nanxing finally saw him clearly.

“Zhou… Zhou He?” he called out uncertainly.

Zhou He grinned. “Xiao Nanxing, you’re getting bold now, huh? You’re not even calling me ‘big brother’ anymore?”

Internally, Shen Nanxing rolled his eyes and thought, *You’re supposed to be one of the main shou’s love interests. If anyone should be calling you ‘gege,’ it’s the main shou, not me. No way I’m doing that.*

Recalling how this person might cause his downfall in the future, Shen Nanxing’s expression darkened.

“I already have a brother,” he replied coldly.

Zhou He, who had been all smiles a second ago, froze at those words.

Ruffling Shen Nanxing’s hair like he used to, he asked with concern, “Why are you mad? Who upset you?”

Shen Nanxing instinctively stepped back, increasing the distance between them as he replied icily, “No one.”

“I’m going home now. Enjoy yourself.”

“Hey, don’t leave so fast!” Zhou He called out, pulling his ultimate card.

“I’ll buy you some fried chicken. You can sneak a few bites later, okay?”

In the past, Zhou He often smuggled fried chicken for Shen Nanxing, but he’d only ever let him eat one piece at a time.

However, to his surprise, Shen Nanxing shook his head with unwavering determination.

“I’m not eating it.”

Right now, all he wanted was to stay far away from Zhou He. Being around the main characters of the novel only spelled trouble for him.

As Shen Nanxing tried to leave, Zhou He tugged at his backpack strap, stopping him.

Just as they were playfully struggling, an unexpected figure appeared.

Lin Bai, still sporting a band-aid on his face and a visible scrape on his knee, limped toward them.

“Senior Zhou, long time no see,” he greeted with a faint smile.

Lin Bai greeted Zhou He with a polite smile, but when his gaze shifted to Shen Nanxing, a trace of displeasure flickered in his eyes—though he hid it well.

Feigning confusion, he asked Zhou He, “Senior Zhou, who is this?”

Of course, he had already recognized Shen Nanxing as the person who caused his fall earlier that morning. But with Zhou He present, he chose to play dumb.

Zhou He responded coolly, “Hello,” and deliberately ignored Lin Bai’s question about Shen Nanxing.

A bit embarrassed, Lin Bai awkwardly rubbed his hands together and turned to Shen Nanxing, trying to appear friendly.

“Hello, I’m Lin Bai,” he introduced himself.

Inwardly, Shen Nanxing was groaning. ‘What bad luck. I skipped lunch and now I have to deal with this green tea act.’

He studied Lin Bai for a moment, feeling like he had seen him somewhere earlier today, but it didn’t matter. What mattered most now was leaving the scene.

Ignoring Lin Bai’s introduction, Shen Nanxing turned to Zhou He and said, “You two talk. I’m leaving.”

Without giving Zhou He a chance to stop him, he quickly picked up his pace, walking much faster than usual.

Zhou He instinctively wanted to chase after him but was promptly held back by Lin Bai, who clung to his side.