The Cannon Fodder Became the Empire's Beloved Omega - Chapter 39

Yu Ruan: “…”

Who was it that told him this competition couldn’t be entered alone?

Recalling Gu Yu’s resolute “No,” Yu Ruan felt he needed a moment alone to contemplate life.

There was no way the other party would want to harm him. But Le Meng had also mentioned that Gu Yu was quite reclusive, even going so far as to toss all invitations into the trash. So why would Gu Yu take the initiative to tell him. that no one had invited him?

Yu Ruan felt that something about this situation didn’t quite add up.

Le Meng stared blankly at the person who had suddenly fallen silent, unsure where she had gone wrong.

The Omega, who had been attentively listening to her just moments before, had now spaced out, wearing a bewildered and lost expression. A hint of uncertainty flickered in his sapphire-blue eyes.

Seeing this reaction, Le Meng grew anxious: Had her words accidentally touched upon a sensitive topic for Prince Yu Ruan?

Oh no, she really shouldn’t have said that!

Clenching her fingers, Le Meng hesitated for a moment before deciding to drop the subject. She called out to Yu Ruan, and when he turned his attention to her, she asked if he’d like to try the new products at the dessert shop outside the school together.

Yu Ruan was still preoccupied with thoughts of Gu Yu when, without realizing it, he was dragged off-campus by Le Meng.

Le Meng seemed to be a frequent visitor, navigating the place with ease as she led Yu Ruan inside, found a seat, and settled down. The cool breeze from the air conditioner brushed against his face, snapping Yu Ruan back to reality. He suddenly realized the shop’s decor looked very familiar. After a few seconds of confusion, he remembered this was the 9PM café he had visited not long ago.

“The milk tea you brought last time was delicious, so I specifically asked Senior Cheng Mu for the shop’s name and address,” Le Meng explained as she opened the menu and quickly placed their order. “Their new items are all amazing, so I wanted to bring you here to try them!”

Faced with such enthusiasm, Yu Ruan couldn’t bring himself to refuse her kindness. He simply nodded and softly thanked her.

There weren’t many customers at this hour. Before long, a male staff member emerged from behind the counter, carrying a tray with light, brisk steps. His pale-colored uniform accentuated his tall, slender figure and distinguished demeanor, making him quite eye-catching.

To be honest, he didn’t seem like an Omega at all.

A sense of familiarity washed over Yu Ruan. He and the newcomer locked eyes for a moment, but before Yu Ruan could speak, the other man smiled first. “Long time no see?”

“Long time no see, Mr. Si,” Yu Ruan greeted shyly. “Sorry to trouble you.”

Si Yuxiao set the plates down. “No trouble at all.” He then turned to the other side and greeted her warmly, “We meet again.”

Le Meng blinked. “Thank you.”

The two of them seemed quite familiar with each other.

Noticing Yu Ruan’s gaze, Si Yuxiao explained, “I’ve been coming here often lately, so we’ve gotten to know each other.” He smiled slightly. “After all, Nebula is right next door, and Betas and Omegas are quite rare around here. They’re easier to remember.”

Yu Ruan nodded.

Si Yuxiao then added in a low voice, “Last time, I said I’d treat you next time we met. This order is on me today. Enjoy your meal.”

Hearing this, Yu Ruan was taken aback and quickly waved his hands. “No, no, thank you. I’ll pay for it myself!”

Although the prices at this shop weren’t exactly expensive, they certainly weren’t cheap either. He and Le Meng had ordered quite a few things, so it must have cost a fair amount. For someone like Si Yuxiao, who worked part-time at a place like this, his family circumstances probably weren’t very well-off. Yu Ruan absolutely couldn’t bring himself to shamelessly let the other pay for him.

Si Yuxiao was momentarily taken aback, then asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”

Yu Ruan was thrown into confusion by his reaction and felt a bit flustered. Not wanting to hurt the other’s feelings, he avoided stating his true thoughts directly and instead said tactfully, “No, don’t misunderstand. I’m just not used to having others pay for me.”

Unexpectedly, the next thing he heard was a slightly aggrieved question: “But last time you came to the shop, you let someone else pay for you.”

“…” Yu Ruan was rendered speechless by that remark.

The last time he’d visited 9PM, it was to buy milk tea for Cheng Mu and the others, so Gu Yu had handled the bill. Now that Si Yuxiao suddenly brought it up, it made him seem especially scummy.

Seeing him struck dumb, Si Yuxiao’s eyes curved as if amused, and he leaned in closer:

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you last time because the Alpha beside you was really intimidating. Actually, I also thought you looked somewhat familiar, which is why I took the initiative to talk to you back then.”

“After all, I’m an Omega. How could I just casually strike up a conversation with a stranger I’m not familiar with?”

Yu Ruan blinked blankly, convinced by this reasoning.

He nodded and offered a slight smile. “I understand what you mean. Actually, I also think you look quite familiar.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he noticed a fleeting, unreadable emotion flash through the other’s eyes.

After hesitating for a moment, Yu Ruan added, “But even if you say that, I still can’t let you pay.”

“Then how about this,” Si Yuxiao cut in, curling his lips into a smile. “I’ll cover the bill today, and in the future, you can come by more often so I can earn a bit more in tips. How does that sound?”

…Was that even allowed?

Yu Ruan was utterly stunned.

But since things had already reached this point, refusing further would truly be disrespectful. After a brief hesitation, he nodded. “Then, thank you.”

Si Yuxiao immediately gave him a delighted smile.

Still smiling, Si Yuxiao turned to Le Meng and asked, “You’ll come often too, right?”

Le Meng nodded repeatedly, happily taking a sip of her milk tea. “Mhm, mhm, I definitely will! Thank you!”

Si Yuxiao chuckled softly. Waving to the two of them, he picked up the tray. “Well then, I’ll get back to work.”

Hearing this, Le Meng quickly waved goodbye.

When they left 9PM, Yu Ruan was carrying several extra boxes of cake.

This time, however, it wasn’t Si Yuxiao treating him. Feeling too guilty about freeloading the earlier afternoon tea, Yu Ruan had bought a bunch of desserts before leaving, planning to share them with the others in the dorm consider it supporting the other’s business.

After spending all that money and seeing the other’s unwavering smile, Yu Ruan couldn’t shake the faint feeling that he’d been tricked.

When he returned to the dorm, no one else was there.

Looking at the box in his arms, Yu Ruan couldn’t help but sigh. He found a storage container, carefully packed the cakes inside, then walked over to the robot butler and recorded reminder messages for everyone.

Recalling how Gu Yu had frowned and left 9PM last time, Yu Ruan felt that the other probably wouldn’t be too pleased with this gift.

He really didn’t understand why.

At this thought, he hesitated again.

Why had Gu Yu specifically mentioned that he had no partner? The game didn’t require teaming up, so he could have just ignored it without any issue, right?

Yu Ruan was utterly baffled.

Lost in thought, he didn’t realize it was time for class until the piercing alarm suddenly blared, startling him out of his reverie. He glanced at the time, grabbed his backpack, and dashed toward the classroom.

He remembered that this class involved hands-on practice, he couldn’t afford to be late.

By the time he arrived, most of his classmates were already there. Seeing Yu Ruan rushing in, they greeted him warmly.

After nodding and smiling at each friendly face, Yu Ruan found a seat and settled down.

Before he could even get comfortable, the Alpha girl who had invited him before strode into the classroom and announced loudly, “Change of classroom! The professor just said today’s class will be combined with the upperclassmen. We’re moving to A301.”

Combined with the upperclassmen?

Yu Ruan blinked in confusion, still processing the news, when someone tapped his shoulder kindly. “Aren’t you coming?”

Turning toward the voice, he saw a bright-looking boy accompanied by a girl with smiling eyes. Both looked at him expectantly, as if saying, “Let’s go together.”

Not wanting to refuse their kindness, Yu Ruan nodded, picked up his backpack, and walked out of the classroom with them.

As they approached the destination, he noticed a crowd gathered outside the classroom, whispering among themselves. Yu Ruan raised a puzzled eyebrow, catching snippets of their hushed conversation carried by the wind:

“Is that?” “Oh no, I’m scared! Why is he here?!” “Wait, we’re having class with Senior Gu’s group?” “I want to skip so badly.”

Senior Gu? Who was that?

Baffled, Yu Ruan walked closer and instinctively glanced into the classroom. A familiar figure came into view, and his steps faltered as he recalled what Le Meng had told him before.

Instantly, he felt the urge to turn and run.

Yu Ruan strongly suspected that the reason Gu Yu had mentioned partnering up was because he thought Yu Ruan was too weak to clear the competition on his own, a condescending act of charity.

But now that this reasoning had been shattered, the situation suddenly felt much more complicated.

While he hesitated, the Alpha inside the classroom seemed to sense something and abruptly lifted his gaze, staring directly at the doorway.

Caught off guard by the sudden eye contact, Yu Ruan froze for a few seconds before snapping back to reality. He instinctively took a step back, averted his eyes, and avoided the other’s gaze.

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