After Entering a Contract Marriage with a Disabled Alpha - Chapter 17.1

Sun Hai noticed his flushed face and, assuming it was just the heat, led him into the office. He didn’t forget to glance back down the hallway as they entered.

“Er, did you come alone?” Sun Hai asked.

Pei Yu replied truthfully, “My mother is still hospitalized, so it was difficult for her to come. Is it mandatory for a guardian to be present?”

“Not necessarily,” Sun Hai said.

As soon as Pei Yu stepped inside, several neatly dressed school leaders and over a dozen teachers stood up in unison, fixing their gazes on him. A mysterious, awkward atmosphere spread through the room.

“…”

The reception was so grand. Were they really here to welcome just him?

Pei Yu knew well that his status as a transfer student shouldn’t have warranted such a reaction from the faculty. The man in the middle was the Principal of Yangshen; Pei Yu had seen his photo on the school’s bulletin board earlier.

Sun Hai looked at the Principal and braced himself. “Principal, he came alone today.”

Back at his desk, Sun Hai handed the new school uniform and textbooks to Pei Yu.

“Our Class 3 is a science-track class. I’ve seen your previous grades; they are excellent, and I expect you’ll be at the top of the class. However, due to the difference in teaching pace and the environment, it might take a while to adjust.”

“You’re in your senior year now. I hope you can quickly get familiar with your new classmates and the environment. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to tell me…”

Pei Yu nodded while listening. When Teacher Sun asked about his background, he answered honestly. When asked if he wanted to apply for a student aid grant as he had done at his old school, Pei Yu shook his head repeatedly.

“I don’t need to apply for now. Let’s leave the grant for other students who need it more.”

“This…” Sun Hai looked hesitantly at the Principal. “Actually, a large portion of our school’s student aid comes from private corporate sponsorships. The Qin Corporation contributes the largest share.”

“Oh, I see,” Pei Yu nodded.

Seeing that Pei Yu didn’t seem to grasp the implication, Sun Hai helplessly asked one more time. Pei Yu confirmed again that he truly didn’t need it.

When Qin Shen personally called the Principal to handle Pei Yu’s transfer, the Principal had assumed President Qin would accompany him today. Now that only Pei Yu had arrived, there was no point for the leaders to linger, so they stood up and left one by one.

Standing by Teacher Sun’s desk, Pei Yu vaguely overheard their conversation as they walked out.

“I thought President Qin was coming.” “Yeah, the latest batch of book sponsorships arrived; I wanted to thank him personally.” “I heard the Principal also wanted to ask about competition funding, research grants, and the tenth-grade military training.”

Pei Yu suddenly understood. No wonder the reception was so grand—the school leadership thought Qin Shen was coming with him.

Five minutes later, Pei Yu followed Teacher Sun to the classroom. Carrying his new uniform and textbooks, he heard a commotion coming from the hallway before they even reached Class 3; it was as rowdy as a wet market.

“What’s all the noise about?” Sun Hai slapped the door heavily. “Have the class representatives collected all the homework?”

The teacher’s presence was highly intimidating. The students wandering around the room scrambled back to their seats.

Several class representatives spoke in unison: “All collected.”

Sun Hai nodded, stood on the podium, and gestured toward the door. “A new student joined us today. Everyone, let’s give him a round of applause.”

A mix of loud and quiet applause broke out. Students in the front row craned their necks to look out, catching a glimpse of a pair of long, straight legs. As the applause died down, a nervous Pei Yu stepped into the classroom.

After he got on stage, he took in the gaze of the entire class. Qin Yiyang, sitting in the very back row, was waving at him. When the students of Class 3 saw the new classmate’s face, the room fell into a sudden, unprompted silence.

The boy had exquisite features. His cream-colored short-sleeved shirt outlined a slim and tall figure. He held his head slightly high; his fair, delicate collarbones and Adam’s apple were incredibly attractive to the Alphas in the front row. His face was lovely, and though his hair was a bit long, it didn’t detract from his clean aura. The translucent beads on his wrist made him look noble yet cool.

In those few seconds, the students of Class 3 formed their first impression of Pei Yu. They ducked their heads, using their desks for cover as they typed away furiously in their groups.

Hidden Blade: Holy crap, he’s definitely an Omega! He’s so handsome. RenRenRen: Sniff sniff, I’m “licking” those visuals. WannaRaiseACat: RenRenRen, baby, stay dignified, okay? You’re going to be seen as a pervert! RenRenRen: Waaah, but he’s really so good-looking. Omegas should stick with Omegas! WannaGoToHeaven: One Big Sun, do you know the new classmate? Who is he?

Qin Yiyang typed without looking:

One Big Sun: He’s my brother. He’s already taken. Don’t get any ideas [Angry Face].jpg WannaGoToHeaven: I don’t believe you. You just want him for yourself. One Big Sun: For yourself my ass. Get out of here.

“Student Pei, please give a brief self-introduction,” Sun Hai said with a smile.

Pei Yu nodded and placed his uniform and textbooks on the podium. Under the lights, his neck looked slender and white.

“Hello everyone, my name is Pei Yu. I used to study at No. 4 High School. I’m very happy to transfer to this class. Please look after me.”

The applause was continuous. Several Alphas in the front row clapped until their hands were red, looking incredibly excited. Since there were no extra seats, Sun Hai asked the class monitor to get a set of desk and chair from the neighboring class, temporarily placing Pei Yu in the back.

Sun Hai feared Pei Yu might be unhappy: “Seats will be adjusted later based on grades.”

Pei Yu: “Okay. May I be placed behind Qin Yiyang?”

Being a newcomer, Pei Yu wanted to sit closer to someone he knew. Sun Hai agreed.

Just as Pei Yu sat down, Qin Yiyang’s seatmate, a girl, turned around.

“Hi, new classmate! My name is Zhou Yue. You’re so good-looking! Can we add each other?”

Pei Yu shyly said thank you. As soon as they added each other, he was pulled into the class group chat, where students were sending “flower” emojis to welcome him.

Zhou Yue: “I’ve added you to the big group chat. By the way, your name is Pei Yu, right?” As she added his name, she joked: “What a coincidence, you have the exact same name as the Lin family’s ‘True Young Master’.”

“But you’re way better looking than him. I heard the True Young Master is plain-looking and just a Beta.”

Zhou Yue looked up and met Pei Yu’s “hesitating to speak” expression. Her head was then flicked by Qin Yiyang. “Are you stupid? He is the one.”

“…”

The surrounding students looked at each other in shock. Zhou Yue’s face turned explosive red instantly. Dammit, how is my information so outdated? This is social death.

How could Pei Yu’s looks be considered “plain”? Was the person who spread that rumor blind?

Since it was the first day back, the teacher hadn’t prepared new material, choosing instead to go over last semester’s final exam papers. Pei Yu didn’t have a paper, so Qin Yiyang gave him his own while he shared with his seatmate. Looking at the half-empty exam paper, Pei Yu filled in the answers silently while listening to the lecture. The crumpled, balled-up exam paper looked much better with the addition of Pei Yu’s elegant handwriting.

Taking back the paper, Qin Yiyang felt hot with shame. “If I’d known, I would have organized my papers better.” He must look so messy in Pei Yu’s eyes.

“You used to say this was called ‘not being bothered by trivialities,'” Zhou Yue teased.

“It’s fine. I can see you have a very free-spirited approach to learning,” Pei Yu comforted him.

Qin Yiyang was moved to tears. “Thank you, Brother Pei.”

As soon as the bell rang, many people crowded around Pei Yu’s desk, asking all sorts of questions. Pei Yu’s name wasn’t a secret; the whole of Jiangcheng knew the Lins had found their biological child. They were extremely interested in Pei Yu and wanted to ask about the marriage—asking if Qin Shen was like the rumors said—but they were too embarrassed. They stammered, wanting to say something but not quite managing it.

Pei Yu smiled gently. “You can ask whatever you want.”

They glanced at each other and whispered, asking if the marriage was real. Without a trace of embarrassment, Pei Yu nodded lightly. Someone asked if Qin Shen was really as unbearable as the rumors claimed. Pei Yu looked at Qin Yiyang.

Qin Yiyang shrugged helplessly. He was low-profile at school; except for his close friends, most people didn’t know he was Qin Shen’s cousin. Occasionally, the school forum would mention Yangshen’s biggest investor, the Qin Corporation, and discuss President Qin.

Years ago, Qin Shen had visited the school accompanied by the leadership. According to the seniors who were in PE class then, Qin Shen was “handsome enough to cause public outrage.” Back then, Qin Shen had just graduated; with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a tall build, he had the youthful vibe of a boy mixed with the hormones of a mature male Alpha. In short, the Omegas who saw him that day were haunted by his image for days.

Because of Qin Shen’s excellent resume, those seniors were highly motivated, vowing to get into Jing University just to see Alphas as handsome as him—though later, those who did get in said no one at Jing University could even compare to him.

“So, does Qin Shen treat you…?” Zhou Yue asked softly.

“He treats me very well. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sitting here,” Pei Yu smiled, looking as gentle as jade. Speckled sunlight and dappled shadows fell on his face, making him look vivid and agile. The students surrounding him were dazed.

He’s so beautiful, but he’s already taken.

As high schoolers, they did feel that marrying an Alpha several years older at such a young age wasn’t great—plus, Qin Shen was disabled, making him a less-than-perfect partner. But seeing the expensive bracelet on Pei Yu’s wrist and the quality of his clothes, they knew Qin Shen must be good to him. As long as nothing strange was happening, marriages between high-compatibility AOs were common. Since the person involved didn’t mind, they wouldn’t pry further.

They asked Pei Yu what he liked to eat and what books he read. An Omega even blushed while complimenting the cute sticker on the back of his neck. In just a ten-minute break, Pei Yu’s lips were dry from the enthusiastic questioning.

His phone vibrated. Qin Shen sent a message asking how his first day was. Yangshen’s phone policy wasn’t as strict as public schools; as long as you didn’t play with it in front of the teacher, they turned a blind eye.

Pei Yu typed:

【My classmates are very kind and enthusiastic. Many people asked for my contact info.】 Qin Shen: And did you give it to them? Pei Yu: I did. They’re my classmates. Qin Shen: Mm. But remember to keep your mind on your studies. Pei Yu: Of course. The priority at school is learning. [Cat rolling and acting cute].jpg

Qin Corporation.

A small smile lifted the corners of Qin Shen’s lips. His pale, slender finger lightly touched the soft belly of the cat in the image.

He replied: 【I’ll have Uncle Yang pick you both up when school ends at noon.】

The reason he chose to stay at the old estate instead of the city mansion was because it was closer to Yangshen—just a fifteen-minute drive.

After school let out in the morning, Pei Yu and Qin Yiyang had lunch and took a comfortable nap before heading back. The midsummer heat was intense; the sun was baking the world, and the leaves looked withered. When they entered the classroom, the AC was set very low. Several students who hadn’t gone home for lunch were rubbing their eyes.

As soon as afternoon classes started, Sun Hai stood on the podium with science comprehensive test papers, saying there would be a diagnostic placement test. Qin Yiyang felt his world shatter. “Holy crap, I knew I forgot something.” Stricken with grief, he slumped into his seat.

Pei Yu, like him, hadn’t prepared, but he looked calm. He hadn’t touched a textbook in a month and a half, but the knowledge was still in his head. Upon receiving the paper, Pei Yu scanned it and sighed in relief. The content was quite foundational; he was confident.

Halfway through the exam, Qin Yiyang was at his wit’s end. While Old Sun was busy chatting with another teacher, he turned his head to peek at Pei Yu’s answers. Pei Yu blinked and moved his paper toward the corner of the desk. Doing this for the first time, his heart was in his throat, and he was nearly caught.

After the exam ended, Qin Yiyang admired Pei Yu even more, his eyes full of stars. Zhou Yue said, “I heard this diagnostic test will be ranked across the entire senior year.”

“Huh?” Qin Yiyang was surprised. “They’re making it that formal?”

Pei Yu, who had helped him cheat in a moment of madness, returned from the restroom feeling guilty. He was hurting Qin Yiyang by aiding and abetting him, wasn’t he?! He had only done it because Qin Yiyang looked so desperate, thinking it was just an informal back-to-school quiz. He had no idea it involved year-wide rankings.

Pei Yu, who had a high sense of morality, fell into deep conflict and regret. Seeing that Pei Yu’s mood wasn’t great, Qin Yiyang thought he just wasn’t used to the new school.

Finally, school let out. Yangshen started a week early, and there was no evening self-study sessions for the first week. Carrying his new uniform, Pei Yu planned to wash it before wearing it, otherwise, he might get a rash.

Walking out of the classroom with Qin Yiyang, they happened to run into Lin Shuxing coming out of Class 2, with Qin Fen and other friends following him. Pei Yu recognized those people they were the rich heirs who had watched the drama at the bar last time.

The boys were dressed in blue-and-white school uniforms, which actually gave them somewhat of a student-like appearance. Upon recognizing Pei Yu, their eyes filled with resentment, looking as if they might charge forward and start a fight at any moment.

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