Despite Having Many Disguises, I Failed to Impress the School Heartthrob - Chapter 3

“Deal,” He Yu said. His hands didn’t stop moving as he swiftly finished the dressing, capping it off by tying the gauze into a bow that was utterly inconsistent with Chu Yi’s cool demeanor.

Chu Yi’s gaze flickered over the bow and then landed lightly on He Yu’s face. He smiled like a perfect gentleman. “Deal.”

He Yu offered a reserved, modest smile.

Obedient.jpg.

Chu Yi pulled out his phone, his eyes smiling as he looked over. Even a simple movement was effortlessly handsome. “What’s your WeChat? It’ll be easier to stay in touch.”

He Yu recited a string of numbers, and Chu Yi searched for the account. He Yu noticed another small black mole on the side of Chu Yi’s right index finger, near the pad.

“He Zuizui?” Chu Yi glanced at him.

“Yes, that’s me.” He Yu thought the name sounded quite nice, even if Yuan Li always complained that it didn’t match his “Night Elf He Ritian” persona.

He Yu took out his phone and saw a new friend request in his contacts: Diving Duck?

He Yu: “…”

Well, talk about a name that doesn’t match the persona.

The moment he tapped ‘Accept,’ his phone began to chime frantically. He Yu opened the chat.

Diving Duck? has transferred 5,000 yuan to you.

Diving Duck? has transferred 5,000 yuan to you.

Good heavens. He Yu mentally applauded Chu Yi’s efficiency. Since making money was this easy now, he wondered if he should just tell his boss he was quitting.

“I will keep quiet, you won’t even know I’m here…”

“Hello?” Chu Yi answered a call.

He Yu pointed toward the door, but Chu Yi shook his head. Since he didn’t have to leave, He Yu sat back down on his floor cushion, maintaining a perfectly upright and disciplined posture. Throughout his life, he had been involved in many mutually beneficial partnerships, and he had a very clear sense of his own role: equal benefit, no one is superior to the other. Skr~

“What’s going on? You’re not home yet?” Xin Tao was standing at the entrance to Chu Yi’s house, knocking on the door. “Where are you messing around?”

“I’m on a date with my boyfriend,” Chu Yi replied, his eyelids fluttering as he spoke in a cheerful tone. “Is there something up? If not, I’m hanging up.”

He Yu sat as straight as a poker, instantly slipping into the role of the “boyfriend” under the temptation of those two five-thousand-yuan transfers. After a few more words, Chu Yi hung up and looked at him. “Call me anytime if something happens. I’ll be there whenever you need me, and I hope you’ll do the same.”

He Yu obediently gave him an ‘OK’ sign. Chu Yi stood up and brushed the creases out of his clothes.

“Let me get you a jacket,” He Yu said, standing up as well.

“Hmm?” Chu Yi looked down at He Yu, who barely reached his nose, and chuckled. “I’m not cold.”

“…” He Yu forgave the ATM’s rudeness and explained gently, “Just to drape over your arm. You’re injured, Brother, and the wind isn’t good for it.”

“Oh, alright then,” Chu Yi smiled pleasantly.

The Alpha’s tall frame made the hallway feel exceptionally cramped. Outside, scattered snowflakes had begun to drift down, landing on the boy’s shoulders before being brushed away. His profile revealed a high bridge of the nose and thin, crimson lips. He looked as indifferent as a cold, noble prince about to melt into the icy world.

After walking a few steps, the prince suddenly stopped and raised his hand holding the phone, giving it a little wave. The meaning was clear: Stay in touch.

He Yu stood at the door to see him off, a shy and timid smile on his face as he waved his right hand over his chest. With his thick glasses and unassuming height, he was the picture of a quiet, introverted Omega.

As soon as Chu Yi’s silhouette vanished completely, the “quiet, introverted Omega” opened WeChat to check his balance, his lips curling into a sharp, handsome smirk.

Holy crap! I’ve struck it rich.

******

In the bathroom, He Yu removed the brace from his left wrist and pushed up his sleeve, revealing a scar that stood out against his pale skin. He didn’t even give it a second glance as he turned on the faucet.

The skin on his hands wasn’t smooth; his palms were calloused, but his curled fingers looked strong and agile. He pushed back his wet bangs, revealing a smooth forehead. Without the glasses, his gaze became sharp and slightly disdainful as if nothing were worth his notice.

In reality, he just couldn’t see anything clearly with his five-hundred-degree myopia.

His plain face was transformed by his eyes, giving him a bit of a rogueish charm. In Yuan Li’s words, he had gone from a “regular invisible student” to “Night Elf He Ritian.” He Ritian grinned at himself in the mirror and flashed a peace sign, his right canine tooth peeking out to add a touch of playfulness.

Back on his bed, He Yu picked up his latest iPhone. Once unlocked, a flood of unread messages popped up. He clicked on Yuan Li’s chat.

Yuan the Ancestor: Big Fish! The class lists are out! Guess who you’re in a class with?

Yuan the Ancestor: CHU YI!!!!

Yuan the Ancestor: Holy crap, it’s actually Chu Yi!!!! Did you go burn incense behind my back during the break?!! Dammit, that’s my husband!!! Why did I choose the liberal arts track?!!

He Yu also wanted to shout “holy crap.” Was this his fated destiny with the ATM?

He Zuizui: I actually joined a monastery behind your back. [Palms pressed together.jpg]

Yuan the Ancestor: That’s hardcore. [Shocking my whole family.jpg]

He Zuizui: Buddha is merciful. [Buddha is merciful.jpg]

He Zuizui: The Buddha told me to focus on my cultivation, so don’t disturb my peace unless it’s important.

Yuan the Ancestor: It is. My aunt’s daughter’s friend’s boyfriend helped you look into that tutoring gig. He got back to us and said it’s a go. They want you to try a trial lesson next Friday night after school starts. They’ll pay for the first lesson as usual.

Yuan the Ancestor: You better treat them well. I heard that family is filthy rich.

He Zuizui: Amitabha. Sinner, hold your tongue. Tutoring is a noble pursuit; how can you use such crude language in the same sentence?

He Zuizui: Yuan, there’s something I don’t know how to tell you.

Yuan the Ancestor: Speak.

He Zuizui: Do you know that Chu Yi has a boyfriend now? [Hands in pockets, acting innocent.jpg]

Yuan the Ancestor: [Clutching heart.jpg]

Yuan the Ancestor: I am fragile. [I am fragile.jpg]

He Zuizui: It is none other than myself. [Shiba Inu grinning.gif]

Yuan the Ancestor: [How did you lose your mind so young.jpg]

He Yu ignored Yuan Li, who was frantically sending him links to articles about mental health for seniors, and put down his phone to admire the ten-thousand-yuan transfer. The more he looked at it, the more he thought that Chu Yi… was truly a good man.

****

In Tower A of Huilu Huating, two tall Alphas sat in a sprawling 300-square-meter apartment decorated in a minimalist style.

“You plan to use him to deal with your mother? Will that work? Given her aura…” Xin Tao leaned back on the small sofa, tsking. “Even I tremble when I see her.”

“You could piss yourself and he still wouldn’t tremble,” Chu Yi said casually as he scrolled through He Zuizui’s WeChat Moments.

He was surprised to find that in this day and age, someone actually didn’t set their profile to “visible for three days only.” The entire history was open to the public.

The latest post was from February 11th.

【I’m a Calabash Brother, even a broken heater can’t freeze me out, yeah.】 Attached was a photo of a thermometer showing a room temperature of 11°C.

It certainly hadn’t been warm at his place earlier. Chu Yi kept scrolling.

February 7th.

【Instant noodles for a month are a bit expensive. Starting today, it’s plain noodles, yeah.】 The photo showed a small pot on the stove with some unappetizing noodles and no side dishes.

February 2nd.

【Off work, yeah.】 The photo was of a blood-stained gauze.

What kind of job? A part-time gig? With blood?

January 30th.

【Got paid, got a new phone, and now I’m broke, yeah.】 The photo was of the latest iPhone.

Useful information gathered:

The rented boyfriend has a job. Even though he lives in a tenement, he uses an iPhone.

The boyfriend has been eating plain noodles for half a month.

The boyfriend is quite resistant to the cold.

“What do you plan to do about that brat Ding Wenlin?” Xin Tao asked.

“Cold shoulder,” Chu Yi replied absently, his eyes never leaving his phone.

“Thanks for taking the time to brush me off,” Xin Tao leaned over. “What are you looking at so intently?”

Chu Yi turned off the screen and raised an eyebrow. “Stay away from my boyfriend’s Moments.”

“Get out,” Xin Tao laughed. “Stop acting so dramatic. He’s just a lucky Omega with high compatibility. You said yourself he looks plain, so why are you being so protective?”

“Plain?” Chu Yi leaned back into the sofa, smiling leisurely. “Do you have one? Do you even know what ‘plain’ means? If you don’t know, don’t talk nonsense.”

Xin Tao was speechless with annoyance. “Dammit.” Do single people have no rights?

Ignoring him, Chu Yi sent the name “He Yu” to Old Zhang.

Diving Duck?: Check him.

The reply came quickly.

Old Zhang: Yes.

*****

Tongyan High School operated on a philosophy of “play hard, study harder,” so winter break lasted until March 1st. According to tradition, the school reorganized classes for the second half of the sophomore year.

He Yu stood at the entrance of the sophomore building, dressed in the blue-and-white school uniform. The oversized jacket hung comically on his small frame. When the north wind blew, the fabric pressed against his front and trailed behind him like a long cape. He looked both imposing and ridiculous.

He pulled out his phone. A red notification bubble appeared over a profile picture that radiated the aura of an ATM. The picture was an underwater shot of a cool, brooding profile looking coldly at the camera. Sunlight glinted off his shoulders and water droplets on his face. He was practically glowing.

He Yu didn’t want to admit he had spent ten minutes zooming in on that face. The guy was flawless. His voice was great, too, reminding He Yu of the bitterness of his first love.

But that WeChat name…

Diving Duck?: Are you late?

Diving Duck?: Back row by the window.

He Yu covered his eyes. He was probably the only Omega in school who knew Chu Yi’s WeChat name. Duck.

Do you want me to sit in the back row and be your deskmate-duck?!

If there’s money to be made, I’ll go-duck!

Duck, duck, duck!

Tongyan High was historic and poor. The walls had been repainted over the break and were so chalky that a single touch would leave a permanent mark on one’s clothes. The hallways were packed with people moving desks, cleaning, or just gossiping.

As usual, He Yu was as low-key as a puff of air, navigating the crowd to reach the second floor. Class 5, Sophomore year. This was his new science-track classroom. This was where he would have his first deskmate and boyfriend of high school: Chu Yi.

He had stayed outside too long; the room was already filled with students gathered in groups. He didn’t belong to any of them. He was his own group. He looked toward the back row by the window.

There sat an Alpha with a powerful aura. Beautiful and dangerous. Even though he was just sitting quietly with his chin in his hand, looking out the window, a significant space had been left empty around him. It wasn’t isolation; it was primal fear.

With his bangs covering his eyes and his oversized uniform, He Yu was still as transparent as air. But today, that air suddenly had an explosive presence. Ignoring the shocked gazes of the entire class, he walked toward the back row.

His goal was too obvious. The room went silent for a few seconds as everyone stared, followed by an explosion of hushed conversation.

“Who the hell is that?”

“Don’t you dare get close to my husband!”

“Wake up, that’s your ‘daddy,’ not your husband.”

“A true warrior.”

“What happened to the last warrior who tried that? Did they drop out?”

“Another one’s gone crazy…”

He Yu heard it all and silently protested. It’s not me! I didn’t do anything! It’s your Brother Chu! He’s the one who insisted I come over! He’s the one who asked me to be his boyfriend-duck!!!

Support Despite Having Many Disguises, I Failed to Impress the School Heartthrob