What to Do If Beta Cannot Be Marked? - Chapter 18

Chi Jinxian could hardly believe what he had just heard. Unable to lift his head, Lu Zhi’s words, “Would he dare to kiss?” persistently echoed in his mind, leaving him dizzy and lightheaded, to the point where his steps began to feel unsteady.

He thought to himself, as long as Lu-ge wasn’t angry, what wouldn’t he dare? He could kiss someone’s lips swollen! He could be fierce when he wanted!

So, upon hearing Jiang Jin’s remark, Chi Jinxian’s heart leaped, and he looked up with unusual excitement, as if anticipating something.

Lu Zhi stood where he was, his expression unchanged as he stared directly at Chi Jinxian. Only when Chi Jinxian’s eyes lit up and met his gaze did Lu Zhi casually look away, casting a nonchalant glance at Jiang Jin.

It was exactly like that day when he stood at the foot of the teaching building and asked in an utterly indifferent tone above Chi Jinxian’s head, “Just a kiss?” just as unconcerned as before.

Then, Lu Zhi shifted his focus back to Chi Jinxian, his gaze carrying a mix of scrutiny and carelessness. If he had raised his eyebrows even slightly, it might have added a hint of teasing!

Chi Jinxian felt his scalp tingle under that stare. The memory of Lu Zhi’s anger the previous night and how he hadn’t spoken to him came rushing back. He hadn’t even managed to coax Lu Zhi into forgiving him today, so he didn’t dare act recklessly. Flustered, he waved his hands and stammered, “I wouldn’t dare! I wouldn’t dare! I really wouldn’t.” His voice grew softer, lacking confidence.

Lu Zhi didn’t stay put any longer. He turned and strode toward the cafeteria, giving Jiang Jin a look that seemed to say, “See? I told you he wouldn’t dare.” Jiang Jin was momentarily taken aback, wondering if he had misread the expression. He let out a disappointed “tsk,” as if regretting that the anticipated drama hadn’t unfolded.

Chi Jinxian hurriedly followed.

Though he felt bold in his heart, his body didn’t dare act. Moreover, this little episode reminded Chi Jinxian of the “crime” he had committed the day before, the small trinket in his backpack still hadn’t been given to Lu Zhi.

During the meal, he first served Lu Zhi’s food, then sat across from him. Before Jiang Jin returned, he whispered, “Lu-ge, are you still angry?”

Lu Zhi wiped his chopsticks and glanced at him, feigning ignorance. “Angry about what?”

“Come on, don’t be mad.” Chi Jinxian picked up a piece of meat from his own plate and placed it in Lu Zhi’s, using a tone one might use to coax a boyfriend. “You ignored me yesterday. I was wrong. I won’t do that again.”

Lu Zhi lowered his eyes and used his chopsticks to block Chi Jinxian’s attempt to give him a second piece of meat. He didn’t respond immediately, as if lost in thought.

He only said, “Eat it yourself. Otherwise, you’ll complain about starving again.”

“Lu-ge.” Unconsciously, Chi Jinxian’s voice took on a slightly whiny tone.

When Jiang Jin arrived, he thought something had happened between them and asked in surprise, “What’s going on? Why are you talking like that?”

Chi Jinxian immediately said it was nothing and quietly lowered his head to eat.

For some reason, lately, Jiang Jin had been feeling more and more like an outsider.

Although Chi Jinxian often tagged along for meals, Jiang Jin never thought Lu Zhi would ever date him, Lu Zhi’s attitude made that clear. Yet, precisely because of that, Jiang Jin found it increasingly strange how he felt like a third wheel. Had something happened between them that he didn’t know about?

“Did you wash the clothes?” Lu Zhi’s voice broke the silence at that moment.

Jiang Jin initially thought Lu Zhi was speaking to him. He looked up with a questioning “Hm?” only to see Chi Jinxian raising his head and nodding eagerly like a pecking chick, answering, “I washed it! Super clean! I’m wearing a new one today!”

Lu Zhi: “Mm.”

Chi Jinxian poked at the rice in his plate with his chopsticks and asked inquisitively, “But Lu-ge, yesterday I took off my uniform and checked it inside and out several times it was perfectly clean. Where was it dirty?”

Lu Zhi lowered his lashes, hiding whatever was in his eyes from view. After a moment of silence, he said calmly, “Eat.”

Chi Jinxian: “Oh. Okay.” And true to his word, he didn’t speak another sentence.

Jiang Jin rested his cheek on one hand, chopsticks in the other, his eyes shifting between the two figures. He was certain now: there was definitely something going on between them that he didn’t know about.

After the meal, more than half of the classmates had returned to the classroom. Jiang Baixiao was filling water at the corner of the podium. Seeing Chi Jinxian return, he raised his cup toward the back door and called out, “Your cup is here.”

“Ah, Baixiao, you’re the best.” Chi Jinxian grabbed Lu Zhi’s cup and hurried to the podium, intending to fill it himself, no one dared touch Lu Zhi’s things. Even when Jiang Baixiao filled water for Chi Jinxian, he wouldn’t dare include Lu Zhi’s cup casually. Only Chi Jinxian dared to handle it.

Chi Jinxian leaned close to Jiang Baixiao: “With a deskmate like you in this life, I am content.”

“Ew, greasy Omega, get away, get away.” Jiang Baixiao teased him with a laugh. “If I’d known you’d come back just to fill the class monitor’s water, I wouldn’t have brought your cup.”

“Well, if I hadn’t seen you up here, I wouldn’t have come either.” Chi Jinxian retorted, “I am a dazzling Omega, thank you very much.”

Chi Jinxian bantered as he returned to his seat with the filled cups. Holding Lu Zhi’s water cup, he turned around mysteriously and said, “Lu-ge, I think you’re magnanimous and must no longer be angry. So, do I still need to coax you?”

His voice was soft and sweet, laced with laughter, clearly no longer intimidated by yesterday’s incident.

Lu Zhi took his cup back from Chi Jinxian’s hand and pushed it to the corner, suddenly recalling the note he had modified for this classmate a few days ago.

It was becoming more and more accurate presumptuous due to favor.

He didn’t respond, naturally ignoring him, only offering a quiet “thanks” for the water in the corner.

Uncertain of his attitude, Chi Jinxian asked again, “Lu-ge, do you like little toys?”

Lu Zhi looked up.

Chi Jinxian grew enthusiastic: “Like little hanging caterpillar keychains, Shaun the Sheep, or Breakwind Duck.”

What nonsense. Did he think he was three years old? Lu Zhi kept a straight face: “No.”

Chi Jinxian sighed: “Alright.”

During the afternoon long break, Lu Zhi was called out by Jiang Jin to play basketball, the first time he’d asked since being thoroughly beaten last time.

After calling him, Jiang Jin emphasized repeatedly: “Friendship first, competition second. No matter how you’re feeling, if you target me again unfairly, you’ve got issues.”

Lu Zhi called him insane.

Before following to the field to watch, Chi Jinxian discreetly slipped a palm-sized item from his backpack into Lu Zhi’s bag when no one was looking. After doing so, he straightened up proudly, thinking to himself: Chi Jinxian, you are truly brilliant.

While going down the stairs, he would pass Qi Suiyi’s classroom. Qi Suiyi was standing in the corridor talking to a classmate when a familiar figure flashed in his peripheral vision. Reacting faster than his brain, he grabbed the person’s arm, forcing them to stop, and asked, “Why are you running so fast?”

Chi Jinxian was baffled and said, “I’m going to the field to see Brother Lu.” After speaking, he glanced down at the hand gripping his arm and said displeased, “Xiao Sui, do you know how many obstacles you’ve added to my pursuit?”

Qi Suiyi: “…”

Qi Suiyi gave a forced smile and said, “You’d be better off studying instead of wasting time like this.”

“My grades are better than yours,” Chi Jinxian said with a strange yet serious expression. “I’m in the top ten of the school. Are you? No, you’re not.”

Qi Suiyi: “…”

“Pfft.” Suddenly, an uncontrollable laugh came from the side. Hearing it, Qi Suiyi’s face turned cold as he glared at the person next to him. “What are you laughing at?”

“Huh? Nothing,” the boy said, the amusement still lingering in his eyes, teasingly adding, “Who laughed?”

Qi Suiyi: “…”

Every year, the forum of First Interstellar Alliance High School updated the rankings for the most attractive male and female students. Among the handsome boys, Chi Jinxian modestly knew he held a spot. Lu Zhi, of course, was also on the list in fact, he was the most popular boy.

Chi Jinxian also knew the boy who had just chuckled Nan Mengbai, who was also on the male appearance rankings. He was in the same class as Qi Suiyi, exceptionally skilled at drawing, consistently ranked first in the entire school, and had won numerous art awards within the Alliance.

Chi Jinxian had never spoken to Nan Mengbai and didn’t know him personally, but due to his fame, he wasn’t entirely unfamiliar.

He hadn’t expected their first direct encounter to involve being laughed at fortunately, it wasn’t at his expense, or it would have been awkward. Chi Jinxian politely smiled at him, deciding to leave all the embarrassment to Qi Suiyi. He shook his still-captured arm and said, “Let go. I need to go.”

Without waiting for Qi Suiyi to release him, he broke free from the grip and dashed down the stairs.

Nan Mengbai leaned his elbows on the railing, watching Chi Jinxian as he ran out of the teaching building, and asked, “Is that your childhood friend?”

“Yeah,” Qi Suiyi replied, also leaning against the railing to relax.

“He’s really good-looking,” Nan Mengbai remarked.

For one boy to compliment another like that, even if it was praise, the first impression wasn’t exactly pleasant.

But the other person was decent and a friend, so Qi Suiyi frowned slightly before relaxing and didn’t mind, only saying, “Haven’t you seen him before?”

His little nephew was always so conspicuous.

Nan Mengbai said, “Of course I’ve seen him, but it was always just a quick glance. This is the first time I’ve seen him up close it was a bit startling.”

His tone was casual, making it hard to tell if he was sincere or just making conversation.

Qi Suiyi chuckled and teased, “Should I introduce him to you?”

Nan Mengbai’s eyes lit up slightly, and this time his expression was less ambiguous, showing clear shyness. “Really?”

Without waiting for a response, he added, “It’s not impossible. Don’t you think?”

Qi Suiyi stopped laughing and fell silent. No matter what the other person thought, he had only been joking earlier.

Now, he didn’t dare say another word.

Chi Jinxian bought some water and headed to the field. As soon as he sat down on the grass, he spotted a very awkward figure in his left front Cheng Fei.

Sure enough, he hadn’t given up!

If only I’d brought Baixiao along, at least there’d be someone to talk to.

Cheng Fei noticed him too, spinning a water bottle in hand as if considering whether to greet the senior. But Chi Jinxian had only glanced his way before looking elsewhere.

Lu Zhi seemed to have briefly glanced over when Chi Jinxian arrived, but was now fully focused on the game again. Hard to tell if he’d really looked or not.

Only ten minutes had passed since class ended, with twenty minutes of Lu Zhi’s game remaining. Chi Jinxian wouldn’t be foolish enough to miss watching Lu-ge just because some junior rival appeared. This thought eased his mind considerably.

Pulling out his phone, Chi Jinxian discreetly angled it toward the basketball court where he zoomed in on Lu Zhi. Today’s game was both intense and balanced, much like previous matches, with neither team leading by much.

When Lu Zhi stole the ball from Jiang Jin and leaped for a dunk, his jersey rode up to reveal a taut waistline.

After two years of distant admiration, the sight still made Chi Jinxian drool. Cross-legged, he pressed two fingers to his lips while tapping his phone screen, bowing his head as if hiding something. The magnified image of toned flesh created visual overload, making him nibble the knuckle of his middle finger.

Those v-line abs, that waist so beautiful, probably felt amazing too.

Under broad daylight, Chi Jinxian’s thoughts spiraled into inappropriate territory, completely missing the shadow gradually enveloping him.

A deliberate cough finally made him release his finger and look up.

Jiang Jin spun a basketball, grinning: “Cash, what’s got you so captivated?” Standing nearby, he’d clearly seen what Chi Jinxian was watching but feigned ignorance.

Chi Jinxian immediately covered his phone, turning it off with forced calm: “Nothing much.”

Jiang Jin’s eyes flicked sideways. Before Chi Jinxian could process the hint, a deep, magnetic voice inquired: “Does Lu Zhi have a nice body?”

“Absolutely,” Chi Jinxian answered reflexively.

Thunderstruck by his own reply, he froze wide-eyed, expressions of innocence, shock, and panic flashing across his face.

Lu Zhi was nearly kneeling, one wrist resting casually on his knee, shoulders almost touching the person beside him – all to see what Chi Jinxian had been doing!

Heart pounding with guilt, Chi Jinxian whispered: “Lu-ge.”

“Mm,” Lu Zhi responded. “Want to touch?”