Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Kaiser naturally brushed off Yi Ye's comment. He often spouted random, sarcastic remarks, and Kaiser was already used to it. Watching Yi Ye chew on the pineapple, his cheeks puffing up and down, Kaiser said, "It's just your typical social dance. Every cadet has to secure a dance partner ahead of time, and the principal will select the best pair for an award."

"What's the prize?"

"I heard it's a newly developed terminal."

Terminal!

Yi Ye's eyes lit up. His terminal had probably shattered into pieces when he fainted and hit the ground. Yi Ye wanted to replace it, but the price tag made him back off. Even a basic model cost three to four thousand interstellar credits, and he didn't have that much money. A newly developed one... it must cost at least ten grand!

Yi Ye was excited.

He felt more pumped now than when he was wiping out bugs on the Simulated Battlefield.

"Are there any requirements? Do you have to dance perfectly?"

"Maybe," Kaiser snorted dismissively. "They should use that time for drills instead. What’s the point of being the flashiest peacock?"

"Well, if everyone’s a peacock, I might as well be the most dazzling one."

Kaiser shot him a surprised look. He thought someone like Yi Ye would find the dance as boring as he did. But it seemed Yi Ye was quite interested?

He frowned, "A terminal isn’t that big of a deal. If you want one, I can just get it for you."

"No way!" How could he dare to spend the protagonist's money? "If I can snag it for free, why bother spending money? If I can't get first place, I'll just make do. Even a broken-down mule can still pull its weight."

Kaiser: "..."

Though Kaiser didn’t say a word, Yi Ye could clearly see the word ‘speechless’ written all over his face.

Kaiser let out a frustrated sigh, "Alright. Have you lined up a dance partner yet? If not, I guess I could—"

"Of course, I’ll ask my brother," Yi Ye said with a blink.

"..." Kaiser bit back his words, his handsome face flushing with anger. "Why do you always run to him for everything! Can he even dance? Can he help you snag the best dancer award?! Can't you think more carefully about who to choose as your partner?"

Although Kaiser's tone was fierce, his words struck a chord with Yi Ye. Oh no, he had no idea if Bai Chuan could dance. He had never seen Bai Chuan dance before, so he probably couldn't.

Yi Ye was thrown into a panic, "Then it's no good, I can't ask him."

Kaiser's anger subsided a bit, and he snorted arrogantly, about to speak, but then he saw Yi Ye suddenly stand up.

"I'll go ask on the forum!" With that, he dashed out of the cafeteria.

"..."

Damn it.

*

The Imperial Honor Military Academy's intranet had a dedicated forum section, divided into life, study, and casual chat areas, with hundreds of hot posts circulating daily.

When Yi Ye first enrolled, he had actually registered an account under El's guidance, but he had never used it. The reason was that one night, while idly browsing for gossip, he suddenly came across a series of overwhelmingly gay posts, which scared him into fleeing eight hundred miles away.

"Forum Section → Life Area"

Title: 40cm Looking for Omega, Open to Long-Term Development!!!

Content: "I have a baby face and a huge d*ck." A third-year, 24-year-old single man is looking for an Omega. 40cm guaranteed to satisfy, trial available, open to long-term offline development. If we're a good match, feel free to take me home after graduation.

1st floor: 40cm? Why don't you just say you can circle Imperial Star twice.

OP: The real deal, feel free to verify.

2nd floor: You're too short. I'm a meter long, wrapped around my waist all day. It's tough, really tough.

OP: I know you're jealous, back off.

3rd floor: Hi, I'm an Omega—fair skin, beautiful, slim waist, long legs (pic included). Interested?

OP: Babe, drop your contact info.

...

Yi Ye, expressionless, blocked, exited, and turned off the terminal in one swift motion.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds, genuinely feeling that the world's view on male homosexuality was more unbearable than plain porridge without pickles. A few minutes later, Yi Ye reopened the forum, headed straight to the off-topic section, and typed a line with his fingertips.

Topic: Looking for a dance partner—must be normal, normal, normal!

Content: "Straight as a coconut tree" seeking a dance partner for the freshman dance. We'll split the prize. I'm a Beta, not looking to date, and I politely decline 40cm.

Click! Sent.

Within a minute, the terminal buzzed and vibrated.

1st floor: OP, are you throwing shade at the Alpha guy next door who claimed he's 40cm long?

2nd floor: Suspect +1. Is this the world of sexually indifferent Betas? I don't get it (thanks, I'm a meter long).

3rd floor: Can Betas really not get hard? I'm curious (upstairs, you're too short—I'm two meters long).

...

The post refreshed quickly, and by the time Yi Ye caught his breath, there were already seventy or eighty replies, all asking just how sexually indifferent Betas really are.

Yi Ye was nearly gasping with anger: The topic! Why isn't anyone paying attention to my topic!

His temples throbbed as he scrolled down, then suddenly stopped.

90th floor "BSMH": Also looking for a dance partner—DM me.

Yi Ye was moved to tears—indeed, there are still decent people in this restricted world. He immediately clicked on the other's avatar and sent a friend request. As soon as it was accepted, he sent over a few shy cat handshake emojis.

"Straight as a coconut tree": Hi, are you also looking for a dance partner?

"BSMH": Yes.

"Straight as a coconut tree": I'm Yi Ye Langley from class S. When are you free? Let's meet up.

"BSMH": .

A period?

Yi Ye was puzzled. What does a period mean? Agree? Refuse?

"BSMH": I'm not on campus right now. I'll be back the night before the dance. Do you mind?

This was a bit beyond Yi Ye's plan. He was planning to use the week before the dance to practice like crazy, but the other party was returning so late. After thinking, Yi Ye decided to politely decline.

"BSMH": "Check this out (attached image): my dance certificate."

"BSMH": "One night’s enough for practice—don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of experience (smile)."

Yi Ye was silent for a moment...

The certificate only showed the seal and signature—no name or photo, but the other party quickly sent a video and even offered to take two more videos as proof for Yi Ye.

With a tone that sincere, Yi Ye couldn’t help but believe it.

"Straight as a Coconut Tree": "No need to send more! I’ll wait for you to get back. See you then, buddy!"

"BSMH" simply replied with a period, as if ending the conversation.

Yi Ye figured it was just his way of chatting, sent a "bye-bye" cat head emoji, and logged off.

With a great dance partner lined up, Yi Ye was on cloud nine, feeling light as a feather walking on the road. He was daydreaming about holding the latest gadget, surfing the web at lightning speed.

"Bai Chuan, I *really* like you!"

A voice suddenly came from the corner. Yi Ye’s smile vanished in an instant, and he quickly hid behind a tree, poking his head out to cautiously look towards the source of the sound.

Bai Chuan was backed into a corner by a tall, lanky Alpha, only his side profile visible, still as sharp as ice in the shadows.

"Ever since your entrance speech, I’ve been a fan! Would you let me be your dance partner at the freshman dance?" The Alpha's voice was loud, every word clearly reaching Yi Ye's ears.

"Who the heck is this?!"

"System: No clue."

"System: Just some random guy, probably."

"Oh, thanks for the insight, genius."

Yi Ye panicked, straining to hear Bai Chuan’s voice, his lip movements blocked by the Alpha's shoulder. In a rush, he fumbled with his ancient, cracked-screen terminal, and with difficulty, pressed a series of numbers.

Soon, the call connected.

Bai Chuan: "Hello."

"Don’t say yes to him!!" Yi Ye hissed under his breath.

Bai Chuan stayed quiet, his head turning slowly, immediately spotting the person hiding behind the tree with a furry head peeking out.

"Don’t dance with him! Alphas get way too handsy—you gotta watch out for yourself, kid!"

Bai Chuan’s gaze lifted, icy as he sized up the Alpha, his meaning unclear: "Oh? And who do *you* suggest I dance with?"

"Uh... well..."

"So, who’s *your* dance partner?" Bai Chuan shot back.

Yi Ye couldn’t resist bragging: "Oh, I found someone—just snagged him off the forum. He’s got a certificate and everything, supposedly a pro—"

*Click.* The line went dead.

Yi Ye stared at his terminal, baffled: "Huh?! What just happened??"

Bai Chuan set down his terminal, nodded slightly to the Alpha in front of him, and then turned to leave.

Yi Ye: Damn it!

After painstakingly nurturing the protagonist, only to have him run off with some unknown Alpha, Yi Ye couldn't even bring himself to practice dancing. At night, he was plagued by nightmares of the protagonist and a blurry-faced blonde man walking hand in hand into a wedding ceremony, then turning to smile at him with a terrifying grin.

He clutched his tormented head, tossing and turning, groaning in discomfort.

Kaiser was woken up several times by him, his teeth grinding in frustration, and he threw a pillow at Yi Ye's back.

"What the hell are you doing!"

Yi Ye seemed not to hear, drifted like a ghost to the window, his thin silhouette standing there, hands clasped together in front of his chest.

"I hope all the Alphas in the world go limp, amen."

Kaiser: "..."

Who the hell are you referring to?

...

Yi Ye's "abnormal" state continued until the night of the freshman dance.

He was still wearing his military academy uniform, neatly buttoning up his cuffs in front of the mirror. His mental state seemed just about stable.

Kaiser sat on the other side, watching him.

Unlike Yi Ye, Kaiser was dressed in a sharply tailored red tailcoat, complementing his perfectly styled red hair. His bangs were parted in the middle, revealing a pair of piercing golden eyes, a high nose bridge, and deep-set features, like a masterpiece sculpted by an artist.

The freshman dance was one of the rare occasions where students could prepare their own attire. Most of the students who could attend this military academy were from noble families or wealthy backgrounds, so getting a few sets of banquet attire delivered on short notice was no problem. However, it was obvious that Yi Ye didn't belong to that group.

Kaiser frowned with displeasure, "Didn't I tell you I'd get you an outfit? Why are you insisting on wearing the uniform? It looks cheap."

"Young Master, your outfit looks pricey. If they get damaged, I can't cover the cost."

Yi Ye sighed, clapped his hands, and said, "I'm all set, let's go."

Kaiser snorted and followed him out.

On the way to the grand hall, Kaiser casually mentioned Yi Ye's dance partner. He knew that Yi Ye had planned to practice dancing with someone from the forum last night. He had waited in the dorm for what felt like hours, and Yi Ye didn't return until nearly midnight.

"Ah... I didn't meet him."

"What?"

Yi Ye felt a little guilty about the whole situation.

He had planned to meet the "BSMH" netizen in person to practice and get in sync. But something unexpected happened on the way to the classroom. He saw Bai Chuan and wondered why he was wandering around so late at night, so he followed him. It turned out Bai Chuan was just going to the library to look up some information.

He was caught in the act of following someone and felt utterly embarrassed. Bai Chuan then forced him to stay in the library and read some book called "The Fundamental Research on Pheromones and ABO Reproduction." By the time he remembered his meeting, the netizen was long gone.

Later, he sent several messages to the netizen, and fortunately, "BSMH" had a good temper and didn't blame him. However, Yi Ye thought that when they finally met, he would have to sincerely apologize again.

"If you missed it, what's the point of meeting now? You just randomly picked some Alpha from the forum. Aren't you afraid he might be short, ugly, and poor?" Kaiser rolled his eyes, sneering, "I don't think you'll do well dancing with him anyway."

"Young Master, I've noticed your mouth has been particularly sharp these past few days. Even if I don't win, I'll deal with it. It's fine if it's not good."

Yi Ye patted the terminal in his pocket. After all, it's a matter of 'new for three years, old for three years, and patched up for another three years.' He probably wouldn't be staying in this world for that long anyway.

As they spoke, the two arrived in front of the grand hall.