Despite Having Many Disguises, I Failed to Impress the School Heartthrob - Chapter 4

The Alpha tilted his head slightly, and the chatter in the classroom vanished instantly.

“Morning,” Chu Yi said as he tapped the desk. His fingers were long and pale enough in the sunlight to show the faint blue of his veins, yet they did not look weak; instead, they possessed a cool, refined elegance.

“Morning,” He Yu replied. Under the watchful eyes of the entire class, he settled himself firmly into the seat next to Chu Yi.

To be honest, he was not entirely comfortable. Back when he sat alone, he always chose the window seat.

Several high-end packaging boxes were already resting on the desk. He Yu took a sniff and, judging by the aroma, concluded that it was breakfast.

“Have you eaten?” Chu Yi asked as he opened one of the boxes. Four exquisite crab-roe buns were arranged neatly inside, and the scent they released made He Yu’s stomach growl fiercely.

He had not eaten. He was on duty last night and didn’t get off until four in the morning. He arrived home at five, fell asleep at six, and woke up at seven, meaning his sleep had been practically non-existent. Right now, he was hungry enough to eat Chu Yi himself.

Even though this was an act, Chu Yi’s thoughtfulness—or perhaps his meticulousness—earned him another point in He Yu’s mind. He enjoyed dealing with intelligent people. Naturally, a detail-oriented Alpha was always more attractive.

He Yu took a bite of a bun and felt tears welling up in his eyes. When was the last time he had eaten something this good? Two months ago? Three? He realized with a start that he couldn’t even remember.

With ten thousand yuan in his pocket, he should have been treating his stomach to delicacies lately, but a keyboard he had been eyeing on Taobao suddenly went on sale a few days ago. The “Wealthy” He Yu stared at his balance for half a second before paying the full price without hesitation. Now, his account balance sat at exactly 97.05 yuan.

He still remembered the arrogance he felt while typing in his payment password, which was just as bold as the bowl of pickled cabbage instant noodles he had eaten yesterday.

Financial management simply did not exist for him. Comrade He Zuizui lived strictly by the philosophy of enjoying the wine while it lasted.

******

Their new homeroom teacher was Yang Zenghe, a man famously known throughout Tongyan High for being kind, gentle, and honest.

The plump Old Yang entered the room wearing his trademark old-fashioned Mao suit and round-rimmed glasses, a bright smile gracing his face.

“Good morning, students,” Old Yang said, setting his lecture notes down and greeting everyone cheerfully. “A new semester brings a new atmosphere. I am your new homeroom teacher, Yang Zenghe.”

A scattered round of applause rose from the desks. It was the first day of school, and the students were devoid of passion, either slumped over or leaning back listlessly. He Yu had no interest in the introduction; he was currently exhausted beyond belief.

Chu Yi wasn’t much better. As soon as Old Yang stepped up to the podium, he mirrored the teacher’s arrival by dropping his head onto the desk to sleep. Having already endured a morning of strange looks, He Yu decided to stop pretending. He was going to use his “connections” to sleep in peace.

A thick mathematics textbook made for a perfect pillow. Just as he lay down, his phone vibrated. He glanced at Chu Yi, who remained motionless, sleeping soundly with his back turned.

He Yu pulled out his phone.

Diving Duck?: Let’s hold hands and go buy drinks after class.

Holy crap, He Yu thought, peeking at Chu Yi. The guy was a pro; from this angle, it was impossible to tell he was using a phone.

He Zuizui: Okay~

He Zuizui: [Obediently kneeling.jpg]

With ten thousand yuan already transferred, it would be unreasonable to refuse a hand-hold. Besides, looking at Chu Yi’s specs—both inside and out—holding hands was a steal. He Yu was definitely the one benefiting here.

After a few seconds, He Yu gathered his courage and sent another message.

He Zuizui: So… Brother, there’s something… [Fidgeting nervously.jpg]

He had collected these stickers to annoy Yuan Li, but they were proving quite effective for his acting career.

Diving Duck?: Speak. [I’ve claimed this fish pond for you.jpg]

He Yu admitted defeat. When it came to being shamelessly flirtatious, Chu Yi was the master.

He Zuizui: About the other ten thousand for this month… I’m the kind of person who views money as dirt. [Viewing money as dirt.jpg]

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

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

He Yu’s lips curled upward so hard they practically left his face.

He Zuizui: Brother Chu is the GOAT! [Sending hearts.jpg]

The ATM was surprisingly easy to talk to. He Yu closed his eyes peacefully; his living expenses for the next few months were secured.

*****

The moment the bell rang, half the class bolted. Yang Zenghe didn’t mind, simply calling out cheerfully, “Be safe during the break! If you need anything, find me in the office. Safety first, learning second…”

He Yu and Chu Yi stood up together. The remaining half of the class turned their heads in unison to watch them.

Chu Yi’s small group quickly gathered at the back door. Aside from Chu Yi himself, the others stared at He Yu, their gazes ranging from curious to knowing. Finally, their eyes met, and they all shared the same silent thought: Plain.

“I’m Xin Tao,” Xin Tao said, breaking the silence. He had a pleasant, inviting smile that made him look like a peach blossom—pure yet alluring. He reached out and introduced the others to the “plain” He Yu. “This is Cheng Haoyan, and this is Li Jinhang.”

He Yu nodded to each of them, feeling for a moment like a national leader at a diplomatic summit. He knew all of them. These were the top-tier Alphas who had run with Chu Yi since freshman year; they were all wealthy and exceptionally good-looking.

Among them, Xin Tao was the most popular. Yuan Li often said that if one couldn’t marry Chu Yi, Xin Tao was the only other option. Cheng Haoyan was the quietest, and Li Jinhang had the shortest fuse. Yuan Li had once vented to He Yu that those two were “last resorts,” and one could only survive a marriage with them by staring at their faces to endure the personality. He Yu had memorized all of this.

“Let’s go,” Chu Yi said, swatting away Xin Tao’s hand. He was deep in character, giving his friend a cold glare. “Keep your distance from your sister-in-law.”

Xin Tao: “…Fine.” I’ll play along with your performance.

Xin Tao knew the truth, but the other two were still in the dark. They both believed their brother had found true love. Even if the lover’s appearance didn’t quite match their expectations, they assumed he must have some extraordinary qualities to have captured Chu Yi’s heart.

He “Extraordinary Qualities” Yu knew nothing of this as he followed the ATM out. Li Jinhang was visibly happy for Chu Yi and even suggested throwing a party to announce the relationship, like an engagement ceremony. He had a knack for bringing up the wrong things and was promptly shut down by Chu Yi, who told him to save such “idiotic suggestions” for Xin Tao.

Undeterred, Li Jinhang turned to Xin Tao to discuss throwing a ceremony when he eventually found a girlfriend.

Following their WeChat agreement, Chu Yi threw an arm around He Yu’s shoulder the moment they stepped out. His arm slid down naturally, circling half of He Yu’s body as he leaned down to whisper intimately in his ear, “Is this okay?”

Their compatibility was so high that even though Chu Yi was suppressing himself, He Yu could still feel a faint, cool scent of pheromones soothing his nerves. It made his voice a bit airy. “It’s… very okay.”

It wasn’t enough to trigger a heat, but it felt like a girl smelling her favorite perfume or a guy seeing his dream keyboard, an itch deep in the soul.

Chu Yi kept him close, his voice audible only to the two of them. “I checked your grades. There’s no point in trying to save them. Let’s skip the next class; I’ll handle the teachers.”

“Huh?” He Yu’s eyes widened. He had never skipped a class before. He whispered back conspiratorially, “We have to skip class too?”

“One hundred yuan,” Chu Yi said.

“No problem,” He Yu replied.

Chu Yi glanced at him. From the side, the boy’s eyes behind the large frames were dark and spirited, with long lashes and a slightly arrogant flick at the corners. The sunlight made his eyes look like they were filled with shining, defiant stars.

The rented boyfriend actually glows. Chu Yi’s lips twitched upward imperceptibly.

He Yu understood the point of this outing. Big shots don’t announce things on forums; they simply wander around in public to let the world see. It was efficient and had “face.”

Chu Yi’s posture was deliberate. Part of it was to show his status, and part of it seemed to be a way to shield He Yu from the powerful auras of the other three Alphas. It wasn’t strictly necessary, but He Yu gave him a mental thumbs-up for the thoughtfulness. This handsome, classy Alpha was an 8/10 in He Yu’s book. He deducted two points only because the guy wasn’t his real boyfriend.

During the five-minute walk to the milk tea shop, He Yu’s ears were as sharp as antennas. By habit, he was sensitive to the gaze of others, especially those in the shadows. The faint click-click of phone cameras followed them the whole way.

I’m going to be famous, He Yu thought. Big Brother Yu is making his debut.

Chu Yi kept his arm around him, occasionally leaning down to ask trivial questions like “What do you like to eat?” or “What’s your favorite milk tea?” To onlookers, they looked inseparable and deeply in love.

They entered the shop, and the owner, who recognized Chu Yi’s group, looked shocked to see He Yu in his arms. “This is…”

“My boyfriend,” Chu Yi said, his voice dropping into a doting, tender tone as he looked at He Yu. “What do you want to drink?”

The acting was so good that He Yu felt he had to step up. He shrank shyly into the Alpha’s broad chest and murmured, “Pearl milk tea, extra sugar.”

Chu Yi glanced at the sign that read: PEARL MILK TEA HALF PRICE! 5 YUAN A CUP! He patiently leaned down again and asked in a low voice, “What do you want to drink? Think again.”

He Yu blinked, then understood. Without looking, he pointed at the most expensive item on the menu. Chu Yi looked satisfied and bought two.

He Yu took a sip of his “Dirty Tea” and decided it didn’t actually taste as good as the pearl milk tea.

When the bell rang, He Yu reflexively started toward the building, only to be yanked back by the collar of his jacket like a little kitten.

“We aren’t going this morning,” Chu Yi said, leaning relaxedly against the wall of the shop. His arm remained on He Yu’s shoulder. His sharp, youthful jawline softened slightly due to the laziness in his eyes.

He Yu’s focus was elsewhere. “Brother, we’re skipping the whole morning?”

“Yeah, we’re going out to play,” Chu Yi chuckled, flicking He Yu’s forehead. “With your grades, sitting in class is useless. I’ll find you a private tutor later. Stop struggling.”

He Yu wanted to struggle, but his phone chimed.

“Diving Duck?” has transferred 500 yuan to you.

He Yu shut his mouth instantly. This class… isn’t that important.

“Let’s go play ball,” Li Jinhang said, stretching his 190cm frame. His face was a mask of annoyance. “Staying here is making me go numb.”

“Play ball?” Xin Tao sipped his strawberry juice, his eyes cutting toward him. “At the place owned by Ding Wenlin’s dad?”

“Dammit,” Li Jinhang’s eyes flared. “Let’s do it. When are we going to corner that bastard and give him a beating? I’m suffocating just thinking about it!”

“Don’t suffocate yourself,” Chu Yi said, finishing his drink. He tossed the cup in a perfect arc over the school fence. It landed with precision right on the head of someone passing by outside. The culprit’s lips curled into a pleasant smile. “Let’s corner them now.”

“FUCK!!! WHO THREW THAT?!” The boy outside was tall but thin as a rail, wearing a white T-shirt stained yellow by the tea. He was currently raging, looking around for the source.

He Yu’s attention, however, was caught by the person standing behind the boy.

Boar Peppa?

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