Chapter 174

Chapter 174

After touring around, the two eventually received a broadcast notification to return to the square as their allotted time at the attraction ended. They boarded the bus with everyone else and left the scenic area.

Back at the square, they noticed a large screen had appeared at some point, playing everyone's highlight reels.

By then, everyone except the two of them had already reclaimed their valuables that had been confiscated and were snapping photos with the scenes displayed on the screen.

This would have been perfectly normal.

But Bai Xingshu couldn’t help but notice… most of the photos these people were taking seemed to focus on his acrobatic feats?

Bai Xingshu was speechless for a moment. Feeling everyone's eager stares as the others noticed his return, he quickly boarded the bus.

He could read their expressions perfectly—they all wanted him to perform those moves right then and there!

Bai Xingshu had absolutely no interest in putting on a show like some street performer.

Once on the bus and leaving the scenic area, this marked the official end of their outing.

Later, the two discussed visiting other places on Xitu Star. Both with their own agendas, they naturally chose quite a few date spots.

In silent agreement, they happily spent the rest of their long vacation together.

Boarding the starship for their return journey, Bai Xingshu—who felt like he had never indulged in such carefree fun since birth—silently watched Xitu Star vanish into the distance, a twinge of nostalgia tugging at his heart.

Noticing Bai Xingshu’s expression, Shen Geng said gently, “If you like it, we can come back during the next long vacation.”

Bai Xingshu didn’t look away from the window but gave an immediate headshake, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I’ve already promised Lin Lie. Next semester, I’ll be going with him to the Fourth Legion to experience military life.”

Shen Geng’s face fell immediately. He stared at Bai Xingshu’s back and said nothing more.

The Fourth Legion… That answer made Shen Geng realize in an instant that when Bai Xingshu made this choice, he hadn’t even considered spending the next long vacation with him.

Yet, for every long vacation before this, the two of them had always spent it together.

A pang of bitterness rose up in Shen Geng’s chest—though logically, it was completely unreasonable.

After all, ever since their first long vacation in freshman year, Bai Xingshu had never once planned to spend it with him.

During their sophomore year, Bai Xingshu had originally assumed he’d be spending it with his parents and had prepared to stay alone in the police dormitory to experience communal living.

This semester’s long vacation had only happened because Shen Geng had invited Bai Xingshu to come along.

Logically speaking, from beginning to end, Bai Xingshu had never actually considered spending a long vacation with him.

Shen Geng’s normally sharp, tactical mind hit him with another harsh truth as it laid out the facts.

—Sometimes, having a brain too good at tactical analysis wasn’t a blessing.

Bai Xingshu, meanwhile, remained blissfully unaware of Shen Geng’s thoughts. He silently watched Xitu Star vanish entirely. Never one to linger on what's gone, he turned his head and looked at Shen Geng with eyes bright with excitement. “Want to go dancing?”

Shen Geng, still processing his hurt: “…”

Shen Geng: “Yes.”

And just like that, his mood lifted.

Shen Geng realized that his gloom never stood a chance in Bai Xingshu’s presence.

On the final return journey, Bai Xingshu let loose even more.

After all, this was truly a case of "you won't get another chance like this." His heightened enthusiasm left Shen Geng with a lingering giddiness even after returning to the dorm.

However...

Bringing joy to others was Bai Xingshu's forte, but so was leaving them heartbroken.

As soon as Shen Geng had put away his belongings, he turned to see Bai Xingshu’s tablet displaying elite Alpha files—materials he'd seen before.

And the content of those files was clearly much more detailed than at the end of the previous semester.

Shen Geng: "...”

Reality came crashing down.

In Bai Xingshu's view, returning to the dorm meant vacation was over, so it was only natural to get back to business.

In fact, even during the long vacation, Bai Xingshu had often squeezed in time to refine the dossiers of elite Alphas he needed to negotiate with.

He had already mapped out his approach, how to negotiate terms, identify his own advantages, and determine the ways to work them.

After all, the very first day of the semester was all about focus training.

For Bai Xingshu, it was the perfect time to network with elite Alphas from other faculties.

Since action was set for tomorrow, last-minute tweaks today were absolutely essential.

Ever the doer, Bai Xingshu was, of course, highly efficient in this regard—it was only natural for him to start organizing immediately.

"Didn’t you already make contact with all the elite Alphas before?" Shen Geng asked, the sight needling him.

Bai Xingshu made a noncommittal noise, not even looking up as he casually replied, "Several months pass every semester. Breakups happen, new relationships form—it’s perfectly normal. There’ll always be a few new elite Alphas to approach."

Hard to argue with that. Shen Geng had no retort, gritting his teeth slightly. "You track this stuff?"

Bai Xingshu chuckled, clenching his fist. "Mission mode—I’m always serious!"

Shen Geng: "..." He wasn’t praising him.

Watching Bai Xingshu’s determined expression, Shen Geng’s mouth twisted once again.

Before the long vacation, Shen Geng had already known about this, but back then, he could still accept it, endure it, keep cool.

But now, after over a month on Xitu Star—their near-honeymoon trip, even pretending to be a couple amid others’ teasing—Shen Geng’s soul was still stuck in the fantasy that Bai Xingshu belonged to him.

So much so that...

Now, Shen Geng couldn’t bear the thought of Bai Xingshu being with someone else.

The idea that every intimate touch, every radiant smile Bai Xingshu had shared with him during the trip might one day be directed at another—perhaps even more intimately, more dazzlingly—ate at him.

Jealousy surged in his heart, aimed at someone who didn’t even exist yet.

He fought the urge to tear everything apart.

So Shen Geng dug his nails into his palms and couldn’t help but ask, "Does it... have to be an elite Alpha?"

Bai Xingshu caught the strange note in Shen Geng’s tone when he asked this.

Bai Xingshu raised his head to look at Shen Geng, catching sight of his knitted eyebrows.

Seeing Shen Geng so worked up over him, Bai Xingshu—who had never once considered the possibility that Shen Geng might like him—simply thought inwardly, *Shen Geng is such a good person, still worrying about this for me!*

So he spoke up, "Relax, I’ve got this! You don’t need to worry!"

Bai Xingshu’s clear, bright voice was so cheerful it made Shen Geng’s mouth twitch.

He felt that the question he’d blurted out had already laid his feelings bare.

But obviously, Bai Xingshu had never once considered him—not a shred of that kind of thought.

So what if it was an elite Alpha? It would never be him, Shen Geng.

Plummeting from heaven to hell—it didn’t get any worse than this.