73: The Final Step
Shen Jin belatedly realized his words had sounded far too much like an invitation.
His deskmate’s gaze slowly traced over him once before lazily withdrawing. Qian Kun slumped back down onto the desk and closed his eyes for a light nap.
Shen Jin quickly looked away, only to meet Luo Ying’s eyes.
Caught red-handed, Luo Ying snapped her head away like a startled rabbit, then lowered her head to furiously type on her phone, as if reporting something.
Ever since morning, Luo Ying had kept glancing back at their row. When asked what was going on, she would stay mysterious and say nothing, while her big eyes constantly observing them.
At that moment, Jiang Yifan ran up to the podium and rallied everyone to stay for evening self-study, encouraging them to redo and correct their midterm mistakes to reinforce key points.
At the end, he shouted toward the back row, “Kun-ge, Jin-ge, you two can’t skip times like this. Save us, please!”
“Without you guys, it really won’t work. Our study efficiency drops straight to zero!”
“Yeah, Jin-ge, just look at me once and my brain instantly wakes up!”
“Jin-ge’s gaze has magical effects, cooling and refreshing!”
“Isn’t it autumn right now?”
“Close enough, don’t sweat the details.”
Shen Jin: “...”
“Then why are you calling me?” Qian Kun raised his head helplessly.
“Kun-ge, did you forget your title as the year’s top scorer? Calling you over is to remind you that next time, first place might not be yours. Treasure your chance to crush us while you still can!”
“Jin-ge can overtake you anytime. You’re only two points apart in total score. Have some sense of crisis!”
“Pfft, studying is nothing to Kun-ge.”
“Go Jin-ge! Overtaking Kun-ge isn’t a dream!”
Although the original Class Nine students and the transfer students had reconciled, they still traded verbal jabs now and then.
Shen Jin had already planned to attend evening self-study, so he had no objections. Qian Kun glanced at his deskmate and nodded as well.
The classroom buzzed with chatter, yet Shen Jin heard a very soft voice.
“First place is yours. Then are you mine?”
Shen Jin turned his head and met Qian Kun’s gaze, gentle as water.
For a moment, it almost felt like a confession.
Qian Kun didn’t expect an answer and simply lay back down.
With only a few days left until adulthood, his pheromones had entered a fully active phase. To keep his mental state in check, he had his family apply overnight for buffering capsules.
Earlier, when he felt the agitation rising beyond control, he’d taken two. Now he was especially drowsy. During class, Shen Jin kept glancing over, worried about his condition.
Qian Kun seemed to radiate an oppressive aura, making anyone who passed his desk not dare breathe too loudly.
After several periods, Qian Kun stirred from a heavy sleep and faintly heard voices nearby.
You Jia had come over during the break to ask Shen Jin questions.
Because You Jia transferred schools frequently and worked year-round, his studies would improve briefly before stalling again. Most of his subjects sat near the bottom.
Now that he transferred to Nanhu, which was at a much higher academic level than his own knowledge base, he felt increasingly overwhelmed.
You Jia bent over beside the desk, standing very close to Shen Jin, his head almost touching him.
Shen Jin was particularly guarded around Alphas and Betas, yet noticeably more tolerant toward Omegas. It was an instinctive lack of defense toward those he perceived as vulnerable.
You Jia suddenly felt cold. When he looked up, he met Qian Kun’s hand propping his chin, his sharp, icy gaze fixed on him.
You Jia’s heart skipped. He couldn’t bring himself to meet eyes that seemed to see straight through him.
Finding an excuse, he scurried back to his seat. Shen Jin noticed how he shrank away like a startled quail and immediately looked toward the Alpha at fault.
Qian Kun said flatly, “Why bother with him? With his foundation, he should review basics first before asking others.”
Watching Shen Jin explain concepts in painstaking detail made even Qian Kun feel tired on his behalf.
Shen Jin didn’t mind. “It didn’t take much time.”
Besides, this was the protagonist shou. If anything went wrong, he worried the world line might collapse.
Something felt off to Shen Jin. He thought he should say something. “Do you know why he transferred?”
The will of the world had gone all out to engineer You Jia’s transfer, all so the protagonist shou could meet the protagonist gong.
Qian Kun blinked and looked at him innocently. For you?
Shen Jin: “...”
Why are you looking at me? It has nothing to do with me!
When Qian Kun learned of You Jia’s transfer, he already guessed it. The bizarre land policy, the headaches if he didn’t transfer, all of it served You Jia.
Qian Kun skipped afternoon classes. He found a rarely used restroom and smoked slowly.
After last time’s staring contest with the noisy guy on the rooftop, changing locations seemed sensible.
Even so, the one person who shouldn’t have appeared still did. You Jia somehow wandered in.
The moment the door opened, smoke hit him in the face. He waved it away and spotted Qian Kun.
Noticing teachers occasionally passing outside, he hurriedly shut the door.
Thinking of the undisguised contempt from earlier, he remembered how this person had been a lingering shadow in his heart for years, someone he had once secretly held a faint fondness for. The resentment he’d long kept buried pressed up again.
Qian Kun leaned by the window. You Jia gathered his courage and stepped closer. “S-school rules say you can’t smoke.”
Qian Kun had grown numb to this kind of “fate.” He lowered his head and exhaled smoke, letting it wash over You Jia’s face.
You Jia coughed violently.
Qian Kun’s behavior turned deliberately harsh. Any gentleness he showed in front of Shen Jin vanished without a trace. His expression was cold. “From what position do you think you’re qualified to lecture me, hmm?”
You Jia finally noticed the symbol on the cigarette butt. It bore a national pharmaceutical mark, an Alpha-only suppressant. Its smoke was actually herbal vapor.
Embarrassed, You Jia said, “I… I didn’t notice it was medicine. I thought…”
He trailed off, remembering words once spoken by that elegant madam of the Qian family.
Don’t always rely on “you think” or “you feel.” Observe whether the other person actually needs it.
Because of that woman, he had begun to examine himself.
Qian Kun sneered and crushed out the cigarette.
“Mind your own business.”
As their interactions dwindled, the headaches eased as well.
Seeing Qian Kun about to leave, You Jia thought of the shadow lingering in his heart for so many years. Some questions demanded answers now or never.
“Do you remember that we met before?” Only later had he realized Qian Kun was that Alpha who would rather bleed than mark.
“I don’t remember, but I found out later.,” Qian Kun replied. At first, he’d only remembered the fear.
Qian Kun didn’t know that in the original plot, that fear wasn’t supposed to exist.
According to the storyline, he should’ve lost control and marked this Omega, laying the foundation for the protagonists’ future bond.
The world rules never expected the protagonist gong to ignore them entirely.
You Jia lowered his head, voice barely audible. “I always wanted to know why you think I have ulterior motives.”
Qian Kun found the question amusing, as if he were the one being biased.
That pitiful look would make anyone think he was the villain.
“Do you need me to remind you? When you were being chased for debt, the second car behind us was a police vehicle. It turned right early, but you had time to seek help. Why did you skip it and come to me instead?”
You Jia’s gaze flickered. He couldn’t find a good excuse.
“Because of the car logo?” Qian Kun continued. “Second, I clearly said you could leave the hospital once healed and didn’t need to repay anything. Why did you insist on waiting to thank me in person?”
You Jia hesitated.
“Don’t make excuses,” Qian Kun said calmly. “You know I can tell. Want me to keep going?”
“Don’t… don’t say any more.”
You Jia recalled the scene in the rain, beneath a black umbrella, the two figures standing together like a painting.
A strange ache welled up. He had grown up drifting, shaped by chaos and fear of poverty. He knew clinging to someone wealthy felt like the fastest escape.
Seeing Qian Kun again, fate aside, the man’s towering presence, striking looks, and noble aura were flawless. He was definitely irresistible.
He felt deeply inferior yet wanted that attention.
What Alpha didn’t like a soft, pitiful Omega?
It turned out his clumsy performance had always been transparent.
Courage surged once, then faded.
Shame flooded You Jia. He dropped the pretense. “I’m exhausted. The debts at home, my mom always worried. I’m scared of being poor. Wanting someone with good conditions, what’s wrong with that?”
Qian Kun didn’t judge, only stated facts. “I’m not your anyone. Why should I sympathize?”
“I always felt something strange, like you’d come to like me, tolerate me… I don’t know why I thought that,” You Jia said, voice trembling. “You were born noble. You probably see people like me as jokes.”
“I don’t have time to watch jokes. Poverty isn’t a sin. Plenty of people build wealth themselves. You, though, don’t seem interested in doing that. Your job choices are… telling.”
Each place You Jia worked had been carefully chosen, frequented by wealthy businessmen or heirs. He wanted shortcuts, affection, and to hide his scheming all at once.
Qian Kun didn’t spell it out. Seeing You Jia on the verge of tears, he didn’t want others accusing him of bullying.
Qian Kun glanced at his watch. He and Shen Jin were leaving together after class. He tossed out one last line: “Mess with me if you want. Mess with him? No.”
That kid looked smart but was actually foolishly kind.
“I truly want to be Shen Jin’s friend!”
“Do you believe that yourself?”
You Jia knew there was no hiding it. “At first, I thought he came from money and wanted to get close.”
Outside the bookstore, he’d noticed Shen Jin wearing Xie, limited edition. A top-tier luxury brand, four figures at least, worn casually.
Shen Jin really had just grabbed it casually. Every season, Xie Ling had people deliver new releases to fill his wardrobe. As Xie Ling put it, if family didn’t support the brand, who would? What, did they want to ascend to heaven?
You Jia continued, “But now it’s not like that. I like who he is, how he treats people. He helps without expecting anything. He’s too good. I want to become someone like him too…”
He already understood that world had never been his to begin with.
Forcibly clinging to it would only result in being ruthlessly exposed like he had been.
He was grateful that he met Shen Jin before going too far astray.
On the way back to class, Qian Kun noticed an unread message on his Hates Rabbits account.
Jin: [I ran into Ke Minghuai. He doesn’t plan to talk about the engagement, so there’ll be less gossip.][cat-patting.jpg]
Thinking of Qian Kun’s low mood earlier, Shen Jin explained anyway.
To Qian Kun, that unprompted explanation meant everything.
Warmth rose in his chest.
Shen Jin really was too good. Anyone who got close would fall for him. No wonder You Jia tried to switch targets.
Shen Jin was writing homework waiting for him. Seeing him arrive, he started packing up his textbooks.
Qian Kun paused by You Jia’s desk, then kept walking.
Sensing his mood, Shen Jin asked, “Who upset our young master?”
“What do you think of You Jia?”
Shen Jin explained, “Just a classmate. If he asks questions and I know the answer, I’ll give hints. Same as anyone else.”
“I think he has ulterior motives toward you.”
Shen Jin burst out laughing, tears nearly forming.
Seeing Qian Kun frown, he lifted a finger and pointed lightly. “You’re overthinking it. That would be impossible.”
The protagonist shou wouldn’t take eighteen detours just to like me. Are his eyes broken?
He tried to pull his finger back, but Qian Kun caught it.
Qian Kun lowered his head. Before his lips could reach skin, Shen Jin yanked his hand away.
After Jiang Yifan’s pep talk, many classmates stayed behind. Some were on duty wiping the board. One turn of the head and they could see everything.
Committing crimes in broad daylight, really?!
Amused by Shen Jin’s flustered look, Qian Kun smiled. “What’s there to be afraid of? Fake boyfriends sometimes want to exercise privileges. No one thinks we’re dating anyway.”
He earned a fierce glare.
Fake boyfriends don’t get that privilege.
Though what Qian Kun said was also true.
By now Shen Jin no longer needed this fake boyfriend agreement, yet no one had discovered they “dated.”
The agreement had agreed to nothing.
That night, evening study turned into free study. Students gathered to fill gaps. After Shen Jin analyzed the problem sets one by one, Qian Kun and several other top students would conduct their own review and gap-filling. Learning efficiency immediately shot through the roof.
After study ended, Luo Ying suddenly exclaimed. She remembered that she planned to go to a music festival tonight. When everyone asked about it, they all became interested.
They were all teenagers, so who wanted to stay in the classroom looking at problems all day? Occasionally they wanted to go out and relax too.
Decision made, they headed out together, soon reaching Jianming Lake near the festival grounds. A massive plaza spread out, mountains circling in the distance, tower lights glowing, everything festooned.
By the lake stood a musical fountain, already surrounded by people.
Shen Jin was about to follow the group when someone tugged his wrist.
Qian Kun looked at him quietly, gaze deep. Under the colorful lights, he appeared restrained and refined, more mature than his age.
Shen Jin’s heart warmed.
Shen Jin understood his meaning, his fingers curling.
He stepped away with Qian Kun.
As the crowd thinned, they reached a quiet lakeside. Music drifted from afar as the festival began.
The drunken confession from before hadn’t simply passed.
As long as Shen Jin didn’t say break up, Qian Kun intended to take the final step, a formal confession.
Qian Kun swallowed, eyes intense, voice low. “I remember everything from that night.”
Fountain water shot toward the sky with the music, crystalline droplets scattering. In the light, it was brilliant and dazzling.
Shen Jin’s emotions were also pushed to a peak by this single sentence.
“Shen Jin, I like you.”
Author’s Note:
I like you. Did you hear it?
Chirp chirp chirp chirp~~~ I’m so excited!!
Xie and the Xie family mainly appear in another book, so I won't expand on them here~
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