Chapter 26

After seeing Lu Xingzhou yesterday, the Beta neighbor had once again hurried away.

This time, Shu Baiyu sensed that something was slightly strange. However, when he glanced at Lu Xingzhou, the other man still wore his usual expression without the slightest change.

Shu Baiyu decided he was merely being suspicious and dismissed the matter.

Both he and Lu Xingzhou had classes that morning, though they were in different classrooms.

Still unaccustomed to his new haircut, Shu Baiyu instinctively raised a hand before leaving, intending to adjust his bangs.

His fingers touched only empty air.

While he stood there in a daze, something suddenly pressed down on his head.

A hat had been placed over it.

Lu Xingzhou stood beside him and glanced his way. He reached out and adjusted the brim once more.

“All right. Let’s go.”

Shu Baiyu touched the hat but did not remove it. After responding, he followed Lu Xingzhou.

Their classrooms were in the same academic building, merely on different floors.

Before they separated, Lu Xingzhou suddenly called out to him.

Meeting Shu Baiyu’s puzzled gaze, he paused before saying:

“Wait for me after class.”

Shu Baiyu nodded. When Lu Xingzhou said nothing further, he turned and headed toward his classroom.

Before entering, his steps inexplicably slowed.

He pulled the brim of the hat lower, finally relaxing slightly, then lowered his head as usual and walked directly toward the back row.

After finding a seat in the corner, he sat down.

It was still early.

He glanced toward the empty lectern, set the hat beside him on the desk, and lowered his head to rest.

His eyes had not even been closed for two minutes when someone hesitantly called his name.

“Shu… Baiyu?”

Shu Baiyu paused.

Judging from the voice, it was someone he did not know.

He was about to search his memory when the person hurriedly continued, stumbling over his words:

“I know you’re awake. Could you listen to our apology? Um… There’s something we want to say to you.”

The student sounded nervous and embarrassed.

“I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have casually believed the rumors or spoken badly about you behind your back. We caused you trouble, and we’re genuinely sorry. I hope you can forgive us.”

Shu Baiyu slowly sat upright.

When he glanced over from the corner of his eye, the other person was anxiously twisting his fingers while offering a sincere self-reflection.

After a single look, Shu Baiyu understood his attitude.

He raised his head and gave him a slight nod.

“It’s fine.”

The student visibly exhaled in relief after receiving an answer. He repeatedly said “Sorry” and “Thank you” before cautiously looking up at Shu Baiyu again.

However, the moment he saw him clearly, his mouth abruptly fell open and remained that way for a long time.

Shu Baiyu watched his eyes widen.

The hesitation on his face changed into a mixture of shock and curiosity.

“Shu Baiyu, you… you…”

He failed to complete the sentence in one breath and began speaking incoherently.

“So this is what you look like—no, that isn’t what I mean! I mean… You cut your hair? No, I mean…”

The expressions of the students beside him also changed when they saw Shu Baiyu.

Being stared at this way made Shu Baiyu slightly uncomfortable.

He gave an acknowledging sound and touched his face.

“Is there something on my face?”

“No! Nothing! It looks great!”

The student hurriedly emphasized his words in a loud voice.

Only after speaking did he realize how loudly he had shouted. His face immediately turned red, and he lowered his head.

It was as though a drop of oil had fallen into a pot of boiling water.

Countless incredulous voices instantly appeared throughout the classroom, [read the original at bailiantales.com]and gazes repeatedly shifted toward the back.

Qi Yan had already been waiting inside before Shu Baiyu arrived.

He had not noticed when Shu Baiyu entered. He had been looking down at his phone, still hesitating over whether to contact him, when the friend beside him suddenly called out excitedly:

“Qi Yan, look! Hurry and look!”

“Look at wha—”

Qi Yan impatiently raised his head.

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Shu Baiyu at the center of everyone’s attention.

In an instant, the rest of his words became trapped in his throat.

The young man appeared to have recently cut his hair. The excessively long bangs from before had disappeared, revealing the brows and eyes they had concealed.

It was not that Qi Yan had never seen those eyes before.

Yet seeing them so suddenly today, the pitch-black eyes appeared both clear and piercing.

The unobstructed face remained fair and delicate, but there was now a trace of cold sharpness between the brows.

It gave him an unexpectedly striking and aggressive beauty that made Qi Yan’s heart beat slowly and heavily for an instant.

Caught off guard by the sight, even his breathing stopped briefly.

His friend was still marveling beside him.

When he finally looked away from Shu Baiyu, he excitedly asked Qi Yan:

“Damn! Did you already know he looked this incredible? I used to wonder why you ever dated him. So we were the only ones who thought he was some gloomy, ugly freak, while you knew he looked like this!”

“I wrongly accused you…”

He grinned wickedly and patted Qi Yan’s shoulder.

“That’s not very brotherly of you. You kept such explosive information to yourself instead of sharing it with us?”

What he received in response, however, was Qi Yan’s cold, restrained glance.

Qi Yan looked again at Shu Baiyu, who had become surrounded by people.

Seeing that his complexion had worsened, his heart tightened. He frowned and stood.

Shu Baiyu remained seated.

The person who had initially approached to apologize had become exceptionally excited, and several others later crowded around until his desk was almost completely surrounded.

Their incessant chatter continually filled his ears.

When Lu Xingzhou entered the classroom, this was the first scene he saw.

“What are all of you doing?”

His clear, cool voice sounded particularly distinct among the surrounding noise.

Hearing it, Shu Baiyu stopped preparing to move elsewhere.

He raised his head and looked through the people crowded around him.

After seeing Lu Xingzhou, he settled back into his seat.

Lu Xingzhou carried a small bag in one hand and stopped in the aisle.

The people surrounding Shu Baiyu became quiet for a moment.

Their gazes traveled repeatedly between the two of them.

As though vaguely realizing something, they slowly cleared a path for Lu Xingzhou.

Lu Xingzhou appeared completely unconcerned by the surrounding students’ attention.

He walked directly toward Shu Baiyu and sat beside him.

The others became even more unable to suppress their curiosity.

Each of them discreetly stretched their necks, secretly peering toward the two people in the back row.

Almost as though it were an illusion, unauthorized copy the previously boiling classroom suddenly became quiet again, leaving only whispers in various corners.

Qi Yan’s friend found it strange that Qi Yan had suddenly stood only to remain frozen in place.

He patted him and asked what was wrong.

Qi Yan’s eyes remained fixed upon the two people sitting together.

After a long while, he withdrew his gaze before Lu Xingzhou could notice it.

With an unreadable expression, he shook his head and fell silent.

Lu Xingzhou placed a bag on Shu Baiyu’s desk.

When Shu Baiyu opened it, he found a bottle of milk and several cakes in a complete variety of flavors.

Lu Xingzhou explained:

“I brought you breakfast. I didn’t know which flavor you liked, so I bought one of each.”

Shu Baiyu’s gaze paused slightly.

That familiar line spoken by male leads in novels was…?

He slowly closed the bag.

“…I can’t finish all of this.”

“It’s fine. I’ll eat whatever remains,” Lu Xingzhou answered easily without revealing anything. “You eat first.”

Shu Baiyu nodded.

He did not question Lu Xingzhou’s sudden decision to bring him breakfast.

After all, Shu Baiyu had also bought breakfast for him before, although that bread had ultimately never reached Lu Xingzhou’s hands.

The cakes were small, each only about half the size of his palm.

Some were decorated with strawberries, others were covered in chocolate, and another contained layers of mango pieces.

They appeared exceptionally soft and sweet at first glance.

Shu Baiyu did not dislike desserts like these.

He selected one and unwrapped it.

Even without deliberately paying attention, he could feel Lu Xingzhou’s faint gaze throughout the process.

Finally, when Shu Baiyu had nearly finished one cake, Lu Xingzhou moved.

“Finished eating?”

Shu Baiyu drank the milk that Lu Xingzhou had opened and handed to him, then nodded.

Lu Xingzhou silently acknowledged this.

He reached out and once again placed the hat on Shu Baiyu’s head.

His calm, emotionless voice sounded from above.

“Keep it on. Don’t remove it.”

Shu Baiyu’s vision abruptly darkened before brightening again.

He stared at Lu Xingzhou for a while but did not take the hat off, silently accepting his behavior.

Many cakes remained inside the bag.

Lu Xingzhou tidied them slightly.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed the eager expressions of several people, and the line of his lips flattened further.

The class bell had already rung some time ago.

Shu Baiyu glanced toward Lu Xingzhou, who remained entirely unhurried, and frowned as he reminded him:

“Aren’t you going to class?”

“Mm.”

Lu Xingzhou swept his gaze over those people.

It remained for a particularly long time on Qi Yan, who had nearly met his eyes earlier.

Then he calmly settled into his seat.

“The courses are the same. Listening here is no different from listening elsewhere.”

After pausing, he turned toward Shu Baiyu.

“Would you not welcome me?”

He had originally only remembered that Shu Baiyu had skipped breakfast and planned to stop by and bring him something.

Instead, he had entered and discovered that scene.

Furthermore, after seeing Qi Yan present, he immediately decided to stay.

Although Shu Baiyu did not understand his behavior, he had no desire to investigate the complicated thoughts of a cannon-fodder Alpha at this age.

After several silent seconds, he shook his head.

“Do whatever you want.”

The classroom returned to silence, and the lecturer began teaching.

Although Shu Baiyu could still sense several people secretly looking toward them, this was not the first time he and Lu Xingzhou had sat together.

He already understood that everyone was surprised merely because he was with Lu Xingzhou.

While his thoughts wandered, Lu Xingzhou’s voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.

“Not listening to the lecture again?”

Shu Baiyu stiffened and turned his head back, though his gaze still did not fall upon the book.

Lu Xingzhou watched him.

“Are you perhaps—”

“Shu Baiyu.”

At precisely that moment, the lecturer’s voice came from the front.

“You’ll be in a group with Qi Yan.”

Lu Xingzhou stopped speaking and fell silent.

At the same time, whispers spread throughout the classroom.

Shu Baiyu abruptly looked toward the lectern.

The teacher continued by adding three more names before explaining:

“These groups were formed according to your previous voluntary registrations. I’m only emphasizing them again.”

Voluntary registration?

Shu Baiyu rapidly searched his memory.

After hearing those four words, he more or less understood the truth.

The original Shu Baiyu would indeed have done something like this.

However, the grouping had never been mentioned in the original novel.

It was probably only an insignificant matter, so he did not pay much attention to it.

Yet the moment the teacher finished speaking, two gazes landed directly on him.

Shu Baiyu glanced at Qi Yan, who had turned around and was staring at him with a deep, complicated expression.

Then he looked toward Lu Xingzhou beside him, whose gaze was cold and indifferent but remained fixed upon him without blinking.

His throat tightened.

He lowered his eyes and leaned slightly toward Lu Xingzhou, avoiding Qi Yan’s gaze.

Lu Xingzhou took in his entire reaction.

His expression did not change, but his tone paused in an inexplicably subtle manner.

“…Are you still thinking about him?”

Before Shu Baiyu could answer, Lu Xingzhou slowly withdrew his gaze and lowered his eyes.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to ask such a personal question. It’s your decision, and I won’t interfere without permission.”

Shu Baiyu had originally intended to give only a vague answer.

Upon hearing this, however, the words stopped.

When he spoke again, he directly blurted out an explanation:

“No. I registered before. I wouldn’t do something like that now.”