Chapter 58

Chapter 58

He's sick.

This was Yi Ye's initial thought.

But in the next moment, he sighed helplessly and reached out to press against Bush Meihua's cold hand.

His fingertip rested on the scabbed circle, unintentionally rubbing it gently, making Bush Meihua's fingers curl from the itch. His Adam's apple bobbed, his breathing grew heavy, and his eyes remained fixed on the youth's beautiful face.

What a beautiful face.

He couldn't help thinking.

"I'll be your friend," Yi Ye said, his dark eyes staring at him. "Then what?"

Then what?

Bush Meihua's thoughts momentarily froze.

"Do you know why I always avoid you and keep my distance?"

Bush Meihua raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because you're too insincere."

As Yi Ye let go of his hand and the warmth left his skin, Bush Meihua frowned uncomfortably.

"I only make friends with sincere people. Of course, since you've helped me, if you want me to be a so-called fake friend, that's fine too."

He smiled half-heartedly, wiping away the remnants of Bush Meihua's touch with a tissue. Such a simple action seemed to push Bush Meihua to the edge, as if saying: If you want to be a nominal friend, go ahead, I don't care.

No, this isn't how it should be.

The "friend" the doctor mentioned should be more intimate, not like this.

Bush Meihua's gaze darkened.

Yi Ye's pale hand was within reach, and his subconscious urged him to grab it. So he reached out, swiftly grasping the slender, pale wrist. The grip was firm, almost instantly reddening Yi Ye's skin.

But in a flash, there was a loud bang! The sound of a chair falling over sharply pierced the air in the classroom. His collar was grabbed and yanked upward, a force that brooked no resistance forcing him to look up into the youth's dark eyes.

That already captivating face was now even closer.

Bush Meihua suddenly laughed.

Yes.

This is the distance friends should have.

Yi Ye bent his knee against the desk, using the height of the table to look down at Bush Meihua's pale face. One of his hands was held by Bush Meihua's grip on his wrist, while the other firmly held onto the other's collar. He slightly narrowed his eyes, exuding a casual composure.

For a moment, Bush Meihua felt as if his lifeblood was being strangled. The boiling blood made it hard for him to breathe, his dry throat constantly swallowing, his gaze burning as it swept over Yi Ye's face.

Filled with an indescribable desire and obsession.

"Grabbing my hand, what do you want to do?" he asked, almost interrogating.

Bush Meihua's voice carried a hoarseness he wasn't aware of. "What do you think I want to do, Yi Ye?"

"You're such a freak."

"But you should at least listen to me, right? Meihua." Yi Ye casually tugged at his collar, pulling it up to an almost suffocating level, "It's fine to be friends, but stop touching me, got it?"

From the moment they met at the dance, he had been all over him. What’s his problem? Why does he keep pawing at a Beta like me?

Bush Meihua's face turned red from lack of breath, his voice hoarse, "Shouldn't friends have some close moments? Darling."

"Ugh, that’s gross."

Yi Ye shuddered, "Don’t call me that!"

"Darling’s a nice word."

"If it’s such a great word, go say it to yourself in the mirror!" Yi Ye glared, looking ready to punch him if he said it again.

Bush Meihua burst out laughing uncontrollably.

Distracted, Yi Ye frowned and yanked the collar tighter, returning to the topic.

"Last warning—get your hands off me."

Bush Meihua grinned, "Why don’t you just break my hand? Go ahead, do it."

"..."

This guy’s getting crazier by the second.

Yi Ye was so mad he almost laughed, forcing himself to calm down.

"Meihua, is this how you make friends? Touching people and being fake?"

"I’ve never made friends before, obviously."

"Bullshit."

He’d seen Bush Meihua hanging out with others before.

Knowing who Yi Ye was referring to, Bush Meihua tilted his head to one side, "Friends? I treated them like dirt."

"Now I see why no one wants to be your friend."

"Feeling sorry for me? Then—"

Before Bush Meihua could finish, Yi Ye suddenly pushed him away, his expression unusually cold.

When he wasn’t smiling, his face turned sharp and icy. Bush Meihua felt like he was being looked at like a bug or a mangy dog. He should’ve been angry, but instead, his body trembled with excitement under that stare, a tingling sensation spreading through his bones, rushing to his scalp, even the back of his neck began to tingle.

He always knew he was messed up.

But now, he felt completely broken.

"Congrats," Yi Ye said coldly, "I don’t usually hate people this much, but you’ve managed it."

"As for friends?"

"Maybe in the next life."

Without another word, he turned and walked off, his face blank.

The classroom door slammed shut with a sharp crack.

…………

After walking out of the building, Yi Ye glanced back at the tightly closed window on the second floor.

He sighed wearily, pressing his fingers to his temples.

Bush Meihua's personality was too eccentric. He couldn't figure out why Bush Meihua was so insistent on befriending him, but he roughly understood the pattern of their interactions. It was best to remain cold and indifferent; Bush Meihua would likely lose interest and eventually give up.

He couldn’t possibly be that shameless, could he?

Yi Ye pursed his lips, too lazy to think about him any further.

He took out his communicator, intending to inform Bai Chuan about the league matters, but after three unanswered calls, he figured Bai Chuan was tied up and decided to head back to the training ground first.

*

Inside the S District dormitory.

The terminal screen on the desk flickered on and off, while the sound of running water seeped through the crack of the bathroom door. The room was filled with steam and a thick, overwhelming scent of pheromones that threatened to overwhelm the cramped room.

In front of the water-streaked mirror, Bai Chuan braced himself against the sink, his breathing labored and suppressed. The veins on his neck bulged unnaturally, and the skin around his gland was bruised, with faint needle marks visible from recent injections.

A syringe rolled slightly on the floor.

Gathering what little strength he had left, he looked at the distorted reflection in the mirror. In his hazy, disoriented state, he thought he caught a glimpse of Yi Ye for a fleeting moment. But like a fleeting illusion, as the water droplets slid down, the mirror returned to showing only his own distorted, pain-ridden reflection.

He suddenly coughed violently, his body slumping against the sink, his taut muscles twitching slightly.

"Bai Chuan, this will be a very long process."

In his haze of pain, Bai Chuan recalled the scholar's warning.

The unkempt scholar slumped in a large, tattered sofa, empty liquor bottles scattered at his feet. He held a cheap cigarette between his fingers, and the room reeked of smoke and alcohol.

Through his thick bangs, the scholar's eyes pierced through him. "No one will support you in doing this... Heh, of course, except for me, who's already been abandoned by the Empire. My experiments were halted in their early stages. Those government leeches smashed my lab and looted all my findings. As I am now, I can't help you transition from an Omega to an Alpha."

He inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Even if I could, do you think you could handle the agony? I suggest you consider another approach. Didn't the Empire once consider creating artificial glands? Ask your dear principal about it. He might know more than I do."

Bai Chuan stood tall and straight in his neat military uniform, a stark contrast to the filthy, stinking environment. He studied the scholar's dark, weathered face and said calmly, "Your paper was published 10 years ago. In all that time, have you done nothing since then?"

The scholar laughed heartily, spreading his arms wide. "Look at this dump. Research? I’m barely scraping by."

"I’ve checked with Central Command. You leave the military for five days every month. But you have no family or friends, and those five days aren't spent here."

Bai Chuan stepped closer to the scholar, his gaze piercing despite its calmness.

The scholar fell silent for a moment. "Maybe I just went somewhere to drink myself into a stupor for five days. In this world, without cigarettes and alcohol, people like me can't survive."

Bai Chuan said nothing, his gaze as cold and still as ice.

After a long pause, he spoke. "Your experiment lacks a test subject, doesn't it? How about me?"

The man froze, staring at him in disbelief.

"Are you insane? You have 3S-level mental strength. Even without becoming an Alpha, you could still gain power and status. There's no need for you to come to me."

"I don't need those things."

Bai Chuan's eyes lifted coldly. "It’s your call."

"Aren’t you afraid my experiment might fail and you could die?"

"I don’t act without preparation."

"..."

The man clenched his teeth, then slammed the sofa armrest hard after a long pause. "Fine!"

...

"This is the drug I’ve spent years researching and finally developed. But, Bai Chuan, you must think clearly. So far, I’ve only tested it on animals, not humans. I can’t fully predict how your body will react to the injection. You might endure unimaginable pain, both physically and mentally."

"For the first three months, you’ll need monthly injections. Keep a detailed record of any changes and stay in constant contact with me. If anything goes wrong, stop at once and use the blocker."

The scholar’s words kept ringing in his ears.

Bai Chuan arched his back as crimson blood dripped from his nose, sharp and bitter. But his expression stayed calm, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. He calmly rinsed off the blood, dried his face, and walked out without a word.

...

Yi Ye only got a reply from Bai Chuan after training ended, his voice unusually hoarse. Yi Ye, worried Bai Chuan might be sick, offered to send medicine, but Bai Chuan insisted he was fine.

When the league was mentioned, Bai Chuan seemed oddly calm.

"Did you know about this already?"

"I heard about it from someone earlier."

Yi Ye was confused. Bai Chuan didn’t seem to have friends, and the news was still under wraps. However, Yi Ye didn’t dwell on it. The main character always finds a way to uncover secrets.

"There’s another good news," Yi Ye said, his tone rising. "We’re both on the league roster. We can team up!"

From his tone alone, Bai Chuan could picture Yi Ye’s excited, raised eyebrows.

He lowered his eyes. "Really? My brother seems thrilled we’re teamed up."

"Of course. If it weren’t for the draw during the freshman assessment, I would’ve wanted to team up with you back then. This time it’s great. You handle the gun, I’ll take the knife, and we’ll wipe out the competition."

Yi Ye spoke nonstop, while Bai Chuan listened quietly.

"Seriously, are you okay? If something’s up, let me know."

"I’m fine."

Bai Chuan wiped the blood off his hand, expressionless, and calmly told the terminal, "Don’t worry about me."

Two weeks later, after over forty days of brutal training, the military academy league was finally announced.

*

The match list matched what Bush Meihua had provided, unchanged. In addition, freshmen also needed to sign up for any one competitive event.

Mecha and combat events were hot tickets, filling up the moment registration opened. By the time it was Yi Ye’s turn, only the weight-bearing run and blindfolded shooting were left. Having suffered through more than a month of weight-bearing runs, Yi Ye decisively chose the latter.

He’d rather embarrass himself missing every shot than endure that cursed weight-bearing run.

Who the hell came up with this torture masquerading as a sport?

After the league announcement, the atmosphere at the Imperial Honor Military Academy instantly heightened. Even the S class, which had been lifeless zombies, suddenly regained their vigor, each strengthening their bodies as if they were about to rush into the arena and shout, "I am the strongest in the world!"

After all, what could be better than beating up students from other military academies to vent their anger? The answer: nothing! After weeks of Ling Pei’s exploitation, they were ready to take it out on others—double the payback.

...

Thus, under this increasingly intense atmosphere, the military academy league finally officially began—