This Beta Is Excessively Lazy - Chapter 2

What kind of Alpha was Gu Xin?

He wasn’t the type to flirt carelessly with Omegas. He kept a proper social distance, and in the short time since school had started, no one had seen him get entangled with anyone.

Gu Xin was handsome, cool-headed, dependable, and radiated a powerful aura without losing his edge. He carried an air of detachment, yet it never felt like he was putting on airs or acting arrogant. It was no wonder the Omega girls in No. 3 High School’s freshman class were completely crazy about him.

“N-no, it’s fine,” Ou Ruoyi stammered, trying her best to appear composed. She was used to being the center of attention for many Alphas, but facing Gu Xin…who had never shown any clear interest in her…she couldn’t help but feel a wave of nerves. Other Alphas were easy to read, but she just couldn’t see through him.

Just like now. Gu Xin raised an eyebrow at Jiang Chen, and Jiang Chen shot a glare right back.

The onlookers were practically vibrating with excitement, screaming internally: Are they about to fight?!

The handsome freshman Alpha class president and a Beta classmate throwing down over the newly crowned school beauty? Now that would be an incredible piece of gossip.

But Gu Xin clearly had no intention of being treated like a monkey in a zoo. After shooting one last look at Jiang Chen, he clutched the basketball and headed back to the court.

Jiang Chen couldn’t be bothered to keep badgering the school beauty for her WeChat ID on Wei Meng’s behalf anyway, so he turned and walked away.

Wei Meng scrambled to keep up, tugging at Jiang Chen’s school uniform as he whispered, “Chen-er, I still haven’t gotten my goddess’s WeChat! Why are we leaving?”

Jiang Chen slapped him hard across his broad back. “You really are all muscle and no brains. Can’t you tell her eyes weren’t on you at all?”

Wei Meng put on a miserable face. “I have brains, okay! I guess you really have to be as handsome as the class president to get the school beauty’s attention. But I don’t think I’m half bad either.”

Jiang Chen offered a token bit of comfort. “Everyone has their strengths. You’ve got a great build, don’t compare yourself to him.”

Wei Meng was touched. “Only Chen-er is good to me. See, I knew I had something over the class president.”

Jiang Chen immediately drove the knife in: “Well, yeah. Because besides your overly robust build, you really don’t match up to him anywhere else.”

Wei Meng: “…” He should have known better than to be touched!

Back in the air-conditioned bliss of the classroom, Jiang Chen didn’t even want to lift a finger. Air conditioning was truly his soulmate. He sent a silent prayer of thanks to whoever invented it.

As the cool breeze washed over him and the exhaustion from gym class set in, Jiang Chen slumped over his desk, genuinely hoping he’d never have to attend another physical education class again.

There were three classes this afternoon, and only the last one remained.

Just as Jiang Chen’s face was about to make intimate contact with his left arm, something icy pressed against his cheek, jerking him awake.

A bottle of bright yellow juice sat on his desk. Just as he was about to snap at whoever did it, Gu Xin’s handsome face filled his vision.

Gu Xin had a faint mole just under the corner of his eye. Every time Jiang Chen looked at him face-to-face, he’d notice it. It was perfectly placed and undeniably good-looking.

Jiang Chen tilted his head, looking like a deflated balloon. “What?” he grumbled.

Gu Xin said, “Wait for me after school. Let’s walk home together.”

Jiang Chen spat out two words: “No way.”

Gu Xin lightly tapped the top of Jiang Chen’s head and murmured affectionately, “Petty ghost.”

Jiang Chen’s lips twitched. “Damn it, don’t touch my head.”

Gu Xin tapped it again with a soft chuckle. “Watch your language.”

Someone from the back row called out for Gu Xin. Before walking away, he emphasized one last time, “Remember to wait for me.”

Sitting right in front of Jiang Chen, Yang Xiu’s fingers were practically flying across her phone screen, typing furiously into a group chat.

Rumor had it that after Jiang Chen failed to get the school beauty’s WeChat and left, the beauty had personally gone and delivered a bottle of water to Gu Xin.

And now, Gu Xin had walked straight up to Jiang Chen, telling him to wait up after school. Wasn’t this clearly a declaration of war over the school beauty? The class president was such a man!

Yang Xiu: I just heard Gu Xin tell Jiang Chen to wait for him after school. Are they gonna fight?!

Lin Meimei: Gu Xin came from Experimental No. 1 High, right? There’s no way he fights. Everyone from No. 1 High is a total nerd.

Yang Xiu: Is anyone here close with Jiang Chen?

Lan Jingyu: Not really, he just sleeps all day. I only ever see him hanging out with Wei Meng. I think they both came up from No. 19 High.

Lin Meimei: No. 19 High?! The legendary school where people fight every day and actual street gangs hang around the entrance?!

Lan Jingyu: Yep, that one. Honestly, just keep your distance. Everyone from No. 19 High knows how to throw a punch.

Lin Meimei: Yikes, okay. By the way, does Gu Xin actually like the school beauty? I saw them coming out of the teacher’s office together this morning, laughing and talking.

Yang Xiu: Why are all the hot Alphas always taken? Praying for a breakup!

Lan Jingyu: But no one has actually proven they’re dating.

Yang Xiu: But Ou Ruoyi just gave him water and he accepted it!

Lin Meimei: I don’t buy it. She probably forced it into his hands and he was just too polite to refuse.

Cheng Wen: I think Meimei is right.

Lan Jingyu: Uh, Yang Xiu… I think I just saw the class president place a bottle of Vitamin Vitality Water on Jiang Chen’s desk.

Yang Xiu whipped her head around so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash. Sure enough, a bleary-eyed Jiang Chen was currently twisting open the cap of the juice.

Normally, Jiang Chen didn’t care to engage with anyone, but Yang Xiu’s intense, conflicted gaze was impossible to ignore. “Something wrong?” he asked.

Staring at Jiang Chen’s face—which easily rivaled the class president’s in the looks department—Yang Xiu’s mouth betrayed her. “Do you… want to join our group chat?”

Jiang Chen replied with polite indifference, “Sure.”

Yang Xiu: “…” Crap, that wasn’t what I meant to say at all!

She quickly looked back down at her phone to tell the group about her blunder.

The group: …

Lan Jingyu: Just add him. Worst case scenario, we’ll just make another secret group chat. No big deal.

A second later, Jiang Chen found himself added to a group chat named: “Desperately Waiting for an Alpha to Make My Legs Go Weak.”

Jiang Chen: “…” He felt like he had entered the wrong neighborhood.

He pointed a finger at himself and looked at Yang Xiu. “Do I look like…” someone who needs an Alpha?

Yang Xiu covered her face with one hand. The lingering thought that Jiang Chen might be a terrifying fighter from No. 19 High made her a little nervous, especially when he narrowed his eyes without smiling.

“You don’t, but we do!” Yang Xiu blurted out.

She immediately lowered her head and renamed the chat: “4 Os and 1 B.”

The name looked incredibly cursed.

The school bell rang, forcing everyone to shove their phones into their desks. Jiang Chen took it as his cue to slump right back down.

When the final bell rang signaling the end of the day, the biology teacher had barely stepped off the podium before their homeroom teacher, Tang Lin, walked in.

Tang Lin was a stern woman, and it was obvious she favored the high-achieving students.

“Give me five minutes of your time,” Tang Lin announced. “I have an announcement.”

The students reluctantly slid back into their seats.

“You are high school students now, which means you are becoming mature in certain aspects,” Tang Lin said seriously. “This is something we must take seriously. Tonight when you go home, I need everyone to download the school’s health management app. I’ll have the class president send the link to the class group chat. Please input your personal data so the school can take immediate action if any emergencies arise.”

The moment the word “mature” left her mouth, everyone knew exactly what she meant.

“Maturity” in a world of ABO meant sexual maturity…their tertiary characteristics. The Alpha’s susceptibility period (rut), the Beta’s pheromone fluctuation phase, and the Omega’s heat. They had taken health classes about this in middle school, of course. Early bloomers had already gone through it, while late bloomers usually started around high school. However, as long as students monitored their own conditions and the school maintained strict management protocols, major incidents were rare.

The homeroom teacher left, calling Gu Xin out with her. The rest of the class began packing up and leaving in small groups.

Wei Meng swung his backpack over his shoulder and tried to throw an arm around Jiang Chen. “Let’s go. If we hit up the milk tea shop now, we might still run into my goddess.”

Just then, Jiang Chen’s phone buzzed with a text.

Gu Xin: Chen Chen, give me five minutes.

Jiang Chen: K.

He looked up at Wei Meng. “I’m waiting for someone.”

“Waiting for who?” In the two weeks since school started, Wei Meng hadn’t noticed Jiang Chen getting close to anyone else. His inner gossip-monger awakened instantly. “Who is it? Don’t tell me you’re secretly hitting on a girl behind my back?”

Jiang Chen slowly packed his bag. “Hitting on your head. You’ll see in a minute.”

Since Wei Meng usually biked home with Jiang Chen, he decided to wait along.

Five minutes later, he watched the class president, Gu Xin, walk back into the classroom, grab his backpack, and head straight toward them.

Wei Meng tensed up. What was happening?

Was the class president really about to throw down with Jiang Chen over a WeChat ID?

Instead, Gu Xin naturally reached down and picked up Jiang Chen’s backpack for him. “Let’s go.”

Jiang Chen accepted it without a second thought, lazily dragging his feet as he followed him out of the classroom.

Wei Meng: ???

Stunned for a second, Wei Meng quickly snapped out of it and chased after them.

He wasn’t close with the class president at all; they hadn’t even spoken before today.

The three of them went to the bike racks. The moment Wei Meng saw Gu Xin’s bicycle, he practically started drooling—it was a sleek black-and-gold model, his absolute dream bike.

“Class president, is this the latest X-series model?” Wei Meng asked, eyes wide.

Gu Xin was generally well-liked and wasn’t actually unapproachable. “My family bought it for me, so I think so.”

“Man, that is so cool,” Wei Meng praised.

In reality, he was dying to know what was going on between Gu Xin and Jiang Chen.

They pedaled out of the school gates. Gu Xin rode a bit faster, leading the way, while Wei Meng and Jiang Chen trailed slightly behind.

Wei Meng, a textbook chatterbox whose mouth never rested, leaned toward Jiang Chen while pedaling. “Are you guys going somewhere after this?”

“Nowhere,” Jiang Chen replied. “Going home.”

“Wait, you and Gu Xin go home together? Aren’t you guys supposed to be rivals?”

Jiang Chen gave him a flat look. “Rivals over what?”

Wei Meng felt a bit anxious. “The whole class was talking about it all afternoon! They said the class president and the school beauty are an item, and since we tried to ask for her WeChat, the class president got mad.”

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. “Stop listening to brainless gossip. Go buy your goddess’s favorite milk tea by yourself later.”

“Aw, come on, don’t you love that place too?”

“I don’t, thanks.”

Gu Xin slowed down until he was riding side-by-side with them. “He can’t drink milk tea. If he does, he won’t be able to sleep at night.”

Wei Meng blinked. “Huh? How come I didn’t know that?”

Jiang Chen snorted. “Because you’re an unfilial son.”

The wind ruffled Gu Xin’s hair, catching the corner of his lips as he smiled softly. “It’s fine that you didn’t know. He doesn’t like talking about himself.”

A sudden wave of jealousy washed over Wei Meng. Why did the class president know Jiang Chen so well?

I’m supposed to be Chen-er’s number one boy!

When they reached the third intersection, Wei Meng bid them goodbye, completely bewildered. He hadn’t gotten his goddess’s milk tea, and he was thoroughly confused by the dynamic between Gu Xin and Jiang Chen.

No way. Tomorrow, I’m absolutely interrogating Chen-er!

Left to themselves, Jiang Chen pedaled lazily. There was a slope leading up to their residential complex, and his pace slowed to a crawl.

Gu Xin stayed right beside him. It reminded him of when they first started kindergarten. Every time they walked this path, Jiang Chen would slow down to a snail’s pace, refusing to move unless Gu Xin pulled him along, otherwise demanding that the adults carry him.

Sure enough, this hill was the ultimate obstacle to Jiang Chen’s journey home. He hopped off his bike and decided to push it instead.

Gu Xin dismounted too, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with him. “Are you still mad at me?”

The two of them had known each other since they wore diapers. Back then, Gu Xin’s mom would push him in a stroller through the neighborhood, while Jiang Chen’s mom would lead Jiang Chen around on a toddler leash. The contrast in their parenting styles had naturally drawn the two mothers together, and the two toddlers became fast friends.

Since then, they had been practically inseparable, attending the same kindergarten and primary school, always in the same class. It wasn’t until sixth grade, when the Gu family bought a new house and moved to the city center, that they went to different schools. Gu Xin entered Experimental No. 1 High, the city’s most expensive school district, while Jiang Chen went to No. 19 High, a school with a less-than-stellar reputation.

But even with the distance, they never grew apart. They just saw each other less frequently during the week, always making up for it by hanging out on weekends.

Jiang Chen wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead as he pushed his bike. “Who’s mad?”

Gu Xin knew Jiang Chen was incredibly easy to coax, but he also knew he had pushed it a bit too far this time. “Want to come over to my place for some sweet soup? It’s been chilled.”

Jiang Chen didn’t hesitate for a fraction of a second. “Yes.”

In truth, his anger had evaporated long ago. But boys their age had pride; if you didn’t pretend to be mad for a little longer, it felt like your anger had no value.

Besides, having known Gu Xin for so many years, they never truly fell out. It was always just playful bickering.

After downing a bowl of ice-cold mung bean soup, Jiang Chen finally felt alive again.

He melted into the sofa. “Your place feels way more comfortable after the remodel. I love this couch.”

It was a lazy person’s paradise…the fabric was soft, the width was perfect for rolling over, and the length was just right. It felt custom-made for him. Once he sank into it, he never wanted to get back up.

“My mom isn’t coming home for dinner tonight,” Gu Xin said. “Eat with me.”

“Sure.” Jiang Chen pulled out his phone and shot his mom a text saying he wouldn’t be home for dinner. She immediately replied with a 59-second voice note, which he promptly ignored.

Gu Xin finished his soup and held out a hand toward Jiang Chen. “Give me your phone. I’ll download the school app for you.”

Without a shred of suspicion, Jiang Chen handed it over.

Gu Xin quickly set up the school’s health app, opened the profile page, and handed it back. “Fill in the blanks yourself.”

Jiang Chen tapped into the information fields. As his eyes scrolled down the list, a sudden spark of curiosity hit him. He leaned sideways, resting his chin heavily on Gu Xin’s shoulder, draping his weight over the other boy like he had no bones.

“Hey, Xin-bao,” Jiang Chen murmured, suddenly full of energy. “When did you have your first rut?”

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