Chapter 10: Defective Product

Chapter 10: Damaged Goods

The photos were posted but instantly deleted.

The entire post was taken down along with them.

If it were anyone else lying there looking so disheveled, the post wouldn't have been removed so quickly. But Pei Huai represented the prestige of the top-tier Pei family, and no one dared to openly disrespect them.

Even if the incident itself was truly humiliating.

Just because it couldn’t be publicly broadcast didn’t mean it couldn’t be discussed in private.

Authority could suppress people, but it couldn't reach every corner. As long as no one flaunted it directly in front of Pei Huai, he had no way to pursue it.

Song Yuqing was awakened by the incessant dinging of notifications. He rubbed his eyes dazedly, the corners turning a faint red, and stared blankly into space for a while.

Qi Ran didn't know how to describe the scene before him. It felt like this was the kind of treatment that old dog Qi Zhengqing deserved, but Song Yuqing was the one receiving it.

Qi Ran knew he shouldn't stare, but his eyes couldn't look away. The dazed Song Yuqing was like a little rabbit.

Song Yuqing picked up his phone.

Suddenly, he laughed, his voice slightly hoarse from just waking up, somehow captivating.

They were all photos of Pei Huai’s embarrassment.

"Baby, look at these photos."

"I’m sure you’ll love this one."

"Here's your first gift today. He really is a dog in heat. I’m not like him, and I’m not like your husband either. I’m young, rich, gentle, and a gentleman…"

"Serves him right." His low, teasing tone carried a hint of laughter, deeply alluring.

It was clear he was in a very good mood.

88: "..."

Qi Ran had already showered and changed into his school uniform. He couldn’t just stay awake in the same bed with Song Yuqing.

Qi Ran planned to get breakfast from the cafeteria for Song Yuqing before they went to class together.

After mocking Pei Huai, Song Yuqing went to take a shower.

In the morning, when a young man entered room 3216, he noticed the mixed scent of alpha pheromones lingering in the dorm. Though it had been cleaned, the mingled scents hadn’t completely faded.

The young man with light-colored eyes wore a sunny expression, but disgust slowly spread through him.

Even though he hadn’t been at school, he had kept up with the gossip about Song Yuqing during this time.

It seemed this was his new roommate—a promiscuous beta.

He was inherently low-class and despicable, a flirt who hit on everyone.

The people at this school were pretty cheap too. With just a little beckoning from Song Yuqing, they followed him back to the dorm to fool around.

Pei Huai was useless too, letting them carry on like this here.

A bunch of trash.

Thinking disdainfully, the Alpha stood by the bathroom door, staring at the frosted glass.

The silhouette behind the glass revealed a body with fluid lines, every part perfectly proportioned—the pinnacle of aesthetic perfection that would captivate an artist.

Slender calves, plump thighs, water droplets splashing against the skin only to bounce right off. Even the flesh of his legs seemed to flirt, teasingly coy and inviting.

Higher up was a slender waist with clearly defined dimples, as if beckoning someone to rest their hands there.

His neck arched slightly, and even while showering, he looked as though he was lost in arousal.

Was it with this appearance, this alluring facade, that he lured people in?

Had he been defiled by so many Alphas that he had to wash up here?

Following the movement of Song Yuqing’s slender fingers, the Alpha couldn’t help but wonder—why didn’t he use those long fingers to reach inside and expel the filth?

Perhaps even just his fingers would make this wanton Beta let out fragmented, lost sounds.

Disgust filled the Alpha’s thoughts, yet his face remained sunny and cheerful, as if at any moment he could cheerfully call out "brother" to the showering Song Yuqing, lean in to sniff him, and say, "Brother, you smell so good."

By the time Qi Ran returned, Song Yuqing had already changed into his summer uniform, the ends of his hair still slightly damp.

Qi Ran placed breakfast on Song Yuqing’s desk. "Eat before class."

Song Yuqing said, "No need, I have nutrient packs. You eat it."

Qi Ran fidgeted with his pants, feeling somewhat awkward.

On the way, Song Yuqing suddenly asked, "How’s your review for the monthly exam going?"

Qi Ran replied, "I'll work hard."

Song Yuqing nodded. "Alright, let’s find an empty classroom to study this afternoon. I have a lot of material to review too."

Qi Ran didn’t think much of it until they were studying together in the empty classroom. Song Yuqing patiently explained each problem to him, even teaching him how to approach similar questions. Only then did Qi Ran realize—Song Yuqing wasn’t trying to review material he hadn't learned; he was teaching him.

Song Yuqing’s explanations were clear and methodical, making even the most difficult content easy to understand. He was patient and never made Qi Ran feel stupid.

After attending a few classes, Song Yuqing had already identified the school's shortcomings. While it undoubtedly controlled the best teaching resources, and the teachers' knowledge was rich and profound, the teaching methods weren't effective for everyone.

For other wealthy students, private tutoring might fill the gaps, but for Qi Ran, it was a serious disadvantage.

Repeating cycles without solving problems had led to Qi Ran’s poor academic performance.

Song Yuqing tutored Qi Ran for about half a month and even compiled a set of notes for him.

For as long as Song Yuqing tutored Qi Ran, Pei Huai hadn’t seen him at all.

When Pei Huai checked Song Yuqing's leave reason with the teacher, he almost laughed angrily.

The record clearly stated: *Severe psychological trauma due to verbal bullying and harassment.*

He hadn't suffered any psychological trauma, yet Song Yuqing was claiming it.

Pei Huai returned to the dorm every day but still couldn’t catch Song Yuqing. It was as if Song Yuqing had vanished into the school like a drop of water—untraceable.

Song Yuqing said, "Do these problems by yourself. I’ll come back later to go over your mistakes."

Qi Ran replied, "Okay."

Song Yuqing had applied for the lab some time ago, and the approval came through ten days ago. After hauling his junk into the lab, Song Yuqing had been spending the past few days there writing code and doing some soldering.

Victor United High School's lab is a small lab with a fully equipped setup. However, to prevent research outcomes from being compromised, only one student is allowed access to a lab at a time.

Song Yuqing planned to create some small gadgets to sell to the rich kids at school—suckers with cash to burn—so he could save up startup funds for future experiments.

This was also why he hadn’t deleted those annoying people. If he didn’t make some money back, it would feel like a loss.

Today was the final stage of assembly and debugging.

In the lab, sparks flew as blue-purple arcs flickered along the edges of Song Yuqing’s goggles. The cold, flickering light made his expression appear even more detached and concentrated.

Outside the tightly shut lab door, an Alpha glanced casually through the glass window at the slim figure inside.

He looked really focused.

At first, his soldering seemed a bit awkward, but he quickly got the hang of it.

Tan Shu leaned against the door, watching quietly, a faint smile on his face. Another student passing by noticed Tan Shu and respectfully greeted him as "President Tan."

Tan Shu responded with a gentle nod.

Then someone more familiar with Tan Shu walked by and asked, "What are you watching, President?"

"Who could possibly do experiments better than you, President? Do you need to watch others?"

"The world you’ve seen is just this small, thinking only those around you are the best. A frog at the bottom of a well, short-sighted." Even when calling someone narrow-minded, Tan Shu maintained his polished and gentle manner.

The Alpha grew even more curious about who was inside and also leaned in to look. He saw a figure with bowed head, the flashing arcs obscuring his face.

Yet his aura was undeniably cool, precise, serious, and focused—every movement deliberate. Watching him solder was like observing an artistic performance: fluid, elegant, with a grace even high society might not cultivate. He even felt that, purely in terms of experimental aesthetics, Tan Shu’s technique had always been hailed as the model at Victor United High School—not only precise but also elegant and with high visual appeal.

He’d seen Tan Shu conduct experiments before, but now, he felt Tan Shu was just… ordinary.

The beauty inside the lab was captivating, not just because of his outstanding looks, but more so because of his serious, almost abstinent demeanor, solemnly stirring people’s emotions.

The Alpha’s heart raced; he felt like he was looking at his future wife.

The Alpha ventured, "President, you’re here watching your boyfriend, aren’t you? And making all these high-minded excuses."

Tan Shu’s tone was light, somewhat helpless, "He’s already married. He’s someone else’s wife."

The Alpha’s budding crush was instantly dashed.

But he still stared eagerly at Song Yuqing inside. "What a shame."

"Not necessarily. Where there’s a will, there’s a way," Tan Shu said suggestively before walking away.

The Alpha: "?"

Was Tan Shu hinting that he could be the other man?

But how could he do that? His upbringing wouldn’t allow such immoral behavior—becoming a third wheel in someone else’s relationship.

That’s what he thought, but he couldn’t help standing outside the door, continuing to watch Song Yuqing’s movements.

Until Song Yuqing pushed open the lab door. The Alpha’s breath caught—up close, he was even more beautiful. Pale, almost glass-like eyes under long, delicate lashes; a delicate pale face now faintly flushed from repeated soldering.

Sweaty and glowing, radiant and lively.

Song Yuqing lifted his thin eyelids, making a decision in seconds.

He pulled a small robot from his backpack and pushed it toward the Alpha. "Do you want it?"

The Alpha froze. His wife was talking to him.

Ah, no—someone else’s wife was talking to him.

And offering him a gift.

He was about to become the other man.

"Want it?" Song Yuqing asked again.

"Yes, yes, wife."

The Alpha slapped his forehead, realizing what he’d said wrong. "No, I mean—someone else’s wife, I want it."

Song Yuqing: "..."

Song Yuqing shoved the robot into the Alpha’s arms, silently changing the original price from 30,000 star credits to 50,000. "50,000 star credits. Scan my code."

The Alpha’s head spun even more. Someone else’s wife was giving him a love token—did that mean he approved of him being the other man? And he wanted to add his contact.

He'd never been the other man before; he wasn’t very experienced.

Then he heard the aloof, married beauty explain what being the side piece entails: "This robot can sweep floors, wash dishes, wake you up, help with homework, scan your daily health, track your rut or heat cycles, and even keep you company and watch over you during your rut."

Ah, someone else’s wife was indeed better.

He’d even keep him company and comfort him during his rut.

The Alpha stared intently at Song Yuqing.

Song Yuqing: "50,000 star credits. Hurry up."

"I need to go find my son."

The Alpha blinked. A married man with a kid, too.

Well, that was fine. As long as the son didn’t catch them when the wife was comforting him during his rut, it might be acceptable.

And if he did… well, that might be even more thrilling.

Ding! 50,000 star credits transferred!

Song Yuqing shot the Alpha a look, paused like he wanted to add something. He really felt like leaving his contact info—for when this guy got old, he could sell him health products.

As soon as Song Yuqing left, Tan Shu, who had been observing from upstairs, chuckled bitterly. What kind of reject was this? The effect he had on Song Yuqing was practically in the negatives.

Author's Note:

Little Moon: Starting a list for health supplement sales.