After lunch, Luo Wenchuan returned to the dormitory, where Ke Lei was at his light computer handling the aftermath of the forum incident.
“You’re back,” Ke Lei said casually.
Luo Wenchuan glanced at his screen. “Still dealing with Xingze’s posts?”
“Yeah, the school is taking this incident very seriously. They want all posts containing personal information removed from the forum.”
Ke Lei focused intently on the forum, eating takeout while processing posts, not noticing Luo Wenchuan’s familiar way of referring to Yun Xingze.
“Must be tough,” Luo Wenchuan remarked.
“It’s alright.” Ke Lei mumbled through a mouthful of noodles.
Suddenly, he saw something and quickly swallowed his food, exclaiming, “Wow, Junior Yun was really devoted to Chi Yu before, huh?”
Luo Wenchuan’s hand paused on the bedroom doorknob.
“These posts were probably made by Chi Yu’s classmates,” Ke Lei said as he browsed through the images in the posts. “Su Zinan’s posts have all been deleted already.”
“There are many posts like this?”
A cold voice sounded above Ke Lei’s head.
Startled, Ke Lei whipped around to find Luo Wenchuan standing behind him, having appeared without a sound.
“Damn, Da Chuan, how do you walk so quietly?” Ke Lei said, heart still racing. After calming down, he answered, “Not too many, but there are quite a few photos of Yun Xingze giving cakes to Chi Yu, taken at different times.”
Luo Wenchuan’s gaze fell on Ke Lei’s screen, where a photo showed Yun Xingze shyly handing a cake to Chi Yu.
The cake in the picture was identical to the one Chi Yu had proudly shown off in front of Luo Wenchuan.
Ke Lei scrolled through the post. “The poster might just be envious of Chi Yu. Should we delete these kinds of posts.”
Luo Wenchuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he replied hoarsely, “Delete them.”
Ke Lei looked up in surprise, but Luo Wenchuan’s expression had already returned to normal, though his eyes held an unyielding determination.
“…Right, Yun’s face is clearly visible in these,” Ke Lei scratched his head. “I’ll delete them now.”
After the posts were removed, Ke Lei continued eating his noodles and remarked, “You know, ever since Chi Yu and I joined the school team last year, I’ve never heard him mention his fiancé Yun Xingze voluntarily. It’s like he was embarrassed by him, and he was always hanging around Su Zinan.”
He then added with a shrug, “I really don’t know what Yun saw in him.”
Turning to Luo Wenchuan for agreement, Ke Lei was surprised to see him walk to the fridge, silently take out a bottle of wine, and return to his room without a word.
Ke Lei was stunned. Luo Wenchuan only drank when he was particularly upset, and usually stuck to beer. If he was drinking red wine.
The last time Luo Wenchuan had red wine was after his mistake in the national competition.
Watching Luo Wenchuan close his door, Ke Lei muttered in confusion, “But he seemed fine when he got back.”
Back in his room, Luo Wenchuan poured a glass of red wine. Closing his eyes, he inhaled the aroma, taking a deep breath to suppress his irritation.
What bothered him more than this irritation was his own inexplicable behavior.
Somehow, without realizing when it started, he had become overly concerned with every piece of news about Yun Xingze.
The cool red wine sliding down his throat helped Luo Wenchuan regain some composure.
He set down his wine glass and walked to the wardrobe. Opening it, among his neatly arranged cool-toned clothes lay a black vintage folding umbrella, its golden handle faintly visible against the black canopy.
The umbrella was sealed in a transparent bag.
Luo Wenchuan hadn’t mustered the courage to open it since that day.
He reached his hand toward the umbrella.
He thought to himself that his unease was probably due to Yun Xingze’s pheromones at work.
Perhaps he should throw this umbrella away.
Reason told Luo Wenchuan that Yun Xingze most likely didn’t like Chi Yu anymore, but the seemingly unbroken pheromone bond, Chi Yu’s boastful gift, and the forum posts all made Luo Wenchuan’s usually steadfast rationality waver at this moment.
Luo Wenchuan’s slender, pale fingers tightened around the umbrella in the bag, his knuckles turning white.
Closing his eyes, his mind flooded with the pheromones in the cherry blossom grove that had made his heart race wildly, the wounded kitten-like gaze the boy had given him in the rain, and the image of the youth clinging to him like a sleepy sloth.
His fingers kept tightening, the umbrella ribs digging painfully into his palm, yet he seemed completely unaware.
After several seconds,
He took a deep breath, furrowed his brows, and placed the umbrella back in the wardrobe. His lips pressed into a thin line, jaw clenched, eyes filled with frustration.
Exhaling the breath he’d been holding, Luo Wenchuan walked to the window, opened it, and stood silently looking at the scenery outside.
A long while later, frowning, he softly repeated Ke Lei’s words: “What does he even see in Chi Yu?”
Unbeknownst even to himself, his tone carried intense jealousy.
The campus mech tournament continued.
After being disqualified, Su Zinan went to find Chi Yu, still hoping to salvage their relationship.
“I can’t compete anymore, but I hope you’ll do well,” Su Zinan said to Chi Yu.
Recent events had left Su Zinan looking somewhat haggard, no longer as fair and handsome as before.
Chi Yu frowned. “I don’t need your encouragement.”
Su Zinan looked at Chi Yu, pursed his lips, and asked the question he’d been wanting to ask: “Chi Yu, have you actually fallen for Yun Xingze?”
Chi Yu froze momentarily.
Lately, he’d been thinking that since Yun Xingze had been betrothed to him since childhood, they’d grown up together, and now he found Yun Xingze quite agreeable, they should naturally be together.
But Chi Yu hadn’t deeply examined his feelings for Yun Xingze.
Or perhaps he’d been avoiding the question.
He didn’t dare admit he’d fallen for the very Omega he’d once looked down on most.
Seeing Chi Yu’s stunned expression, Su Zinan already had his answer, bitterness welling up inside.
“None of your business,” Chi Yu replied coldly, though his eyes betrayed unease.
“Admit it, you’ve fallen for Yun Xingze,” Su Zinan pressed on. “Chi Yu, I never thought you’d actually like him.”
Chi Yu said firmly, “Su Zinan, stay out of my and Xingze’s affairs.”
Chi Yu’s attitude angered Su Zinan. They’d always been on the same side, yet now Chi Yu was turning against him because of Yun Xingze.
“Chi Yu, what’s the use of you liking him?” Su Zinan sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Yun Xingze is now Luo Wenchuan’s mecha engineer, he’s already out of your league. Who knows, maybe he’s already fallen for Luo Wenchuan.”
“Shut up!” Chi Yu roared in anger. “Who says he’d like Luo Wenchuan?”
Su Zinan twisted the knife deeper: “Aside from your family background, what do you have over Luo Wenchuan? Besides, Luo’s helped Yun Xingze so many times. It’s only natural for feelings to change, isn’t it?”
Chi Yu glared at Su Zinan, eyes smoldering, before suppressing his rage and growling, “Get lost. I don’t want to see you!”
Su Zinan gave him a cold look and turned to leave.
Standing rooted to the spot, Chi Yu’s expression darkened. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath and muttered through gritted teeth, “Yun Xingze… how could he possibly like Luo Wenchuan? What does he even see in him?” His voice was thick with jealousy and frustration.
No sooner had Su Zinan left Chi Yu than he ran into He Haoming.
Noticing Su Zinan’s grim expression, He Haoming comforted him, “Don’t take it so hard, Su Su. Just be more careful next time so others can’t scheme against you.”
Su Zinan met his gaze. “I’ve accepted my fate. I don’t have Yun Xingze’s luck, no one will stand by my side.” He no longer dared make any moves against Yun Xingze; the probation hanging over his head forced him to tread carefully.
Seeing the once-vibrant Su Zinan reduced to this state pained He Haoming. “Su Su, there’s no need to compare yourself to him. His winning was just a fluke.”
Su Zinan pressed his lips together. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up.”
“Su Su, I’ll avenge you,” He Haoming declared with sudden intensity. “In the upcoming matches, higher-ranked contestants are more likely to be paired together. If I get matched against Yun Xingze, I’ll crush him for you.”
Su Zinan glanced at him, a faint smile playing on his lips before he schooled his expression into indifference. “I never asked you to do this. Don’t drag me into it.”
He Haoming nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll just defeat him fair and square in the competition, no one can say anything about that. If he gets hurt, it’ll be his own carelessness.”
As an S+ ranked fighter who placed third in last year’s school team rankings—likely surpassing Ke Lei and Aixili this year. He Haoming was the strongest mecha warrior after Luo Wenchuan. He far outclassed Su Zinan, let alone Yun Xingze with his B-rank skills.
Moreover, He Haoming piloted a heavily armored Tempest mecha. The idea of Yun Xingze’s shoddy mecha causing any damage to it was pure fantasy.
Typically, S-rank and above fighters would hold back somewhat against opponents below B-rank to avoid inflicting severe physical or psychological trauma. Years ago, an incident occurred where a fourth-year S+ fighter lost control during a match against a B+ opponent after a pre-match argument. The B+ contestant ended up in the emergency room, nearly dying.
Clearly, He Haoming now harbored deep hostility toward Yun Xingze.
Su Zinan thought that if the two of them were to meet, He Haoming would undoubtedly win the match with an overwhelming advantage.
Although Su Zinan no longer dared to do anything to Yun Xingze, he now kept praying that Yun Xingze would continue to win his matches only to ultimately lose to He Haoming. That would at least give him some satisfaction.
