An Unintended Spectacle

The instructor scrutinized him from head to toe.Finally, he simply said, “Alright, alright, you can go back and rest now.”

An Ran left the training ground, keenly aware of the envious, jealous, and resentful gazes of his fellow students.

‘What was this inexplicable sense of satisfaction?’

During this period of rest, An Ran continued his routine of using the common areas at different times than Gong He.

Every day, before Gong He returned, An Ran would have already showered, hung his clothes to dry, and even tidied up the entire living space.

An Ran was meticulously clean, ensuring the entire dorm was spotless daily, even sweeping away every speck of dust from the balcony.

Were it not for the different clothes drying on the balcony each day, Gong He might have believed he was the sole occupant of the dorm room.

An Ran never spoke, remaining as quiet as an invisible presence.

Judging by An Ran’s flustered demeanor whenever he saw him, Gong He had apparently discerned his roommate’s timid nature.

It was, therefore, unsurprising that his roommate had sought to switch dorms on the very first day.

They maintained this unspoken understanding, each refraining from disturbing the other.

This arrangement persisted until one particular day.

Fu Zao had lingered by the entrance of the A-block dorms for a considerable time, pacing anxiously.

His calls to An Ran went unanswered repeatedly, and he resolved that if he couldn’t reach An Ran again, he would seek assistance from a teacher.

Lu Ye clapped Gong He on the shoulder, saying, “Look, isn’t that student by the dorm entrance the Omega who was with your roommate the other day?”

“Who is he waiting for? Your roommate, perhaps?”

Gong He cast a dismissive glance. “Don’t know him.”

Lu Ye chuckled, a ‘tsk’ sound escaping his lips. “I say, Old Gong, what kind of Omega could possibly catch your eye? Isn’t he pretty enough?”

Gong He shrugged off the hand resting on his shoulder. “No interest.”

Lu Ye: [Flies rubbing hands together.jpg]

“I, however, am interested.”

Gong He looked at Lu Ye’s lecherous expression and couldn’t help but let out a ‘tsk’.

Spotting Gong He and Lu Ye approaching, Fu Zao’s eyes brightened, and he called out Gong He’s name.

Lu Ye: [???]

‘[Why didn’t he call me?]’

‘[Disappointment welled within him.]’

Gong He ignored the antics of Lu Ye, merely glancing at Fu Zao. “Something the matter?”

Fu Zao handed him a lunchbox, his face overflowing with worry. “I’m An Ran’s classmate, my name is Fu Zao. I remember you and An Ran are roommates, so could you please take this lunchbox back to him for me?”

“We agreed to meet by the dorms at this time every day for lunch, but he hasn’t replied to my messages today, and no one answers his calls. I’m really worried.”

“If it’s not too much trouble, please take the lunchbox back to him and ask him to text me back.”

Gong He took the lunchbox from his hand, said nothing more, and simply nodded in agreement.

Fu Zao looked at him with gratitude. “Thank you.”

Lu Ye had initially intended to suggest, “Add WeChat for easier contact,” but Gong He walked away so quickly that he could only regretfully follow.

“Gong He, wait for me! Why are you walking so fast?!”

“I haven’t even asked for his contact information yet!”

“Hey! Hey, hey! Gong He?!”

As if deaf to Lu Ye’s shouts, Gong He glanced at the crowd jostling at the elevator entrance, then chose the stairs without a moment’s hesitation.

Lu Ye paused, then turned back towards the lobby. “I’m not climbing the stairs with you! I’m taking the elevator!”

****

Gong He climbed to the fifth floor in one breath and pushed open the dorm room door.

He leaned against the doorframe, catching his breath.

An Ran’s door was tightly shut, with not a sound emanating from within, so quiet it was as if Gong He were the only one in the entire dorm.

He knocked on An Ran’s door, but received no response.

Were it not for the cool gusts of air conditioning wafting from beneath the door, he might not have even believed An Ran was inside the room.

“An Ran?”

This was the first time Gong He had called his roommate by name.

He repeated it.

Still, there was no reply.

Fortunately, An Ran hadn’t locked the door from the inside.

Gong He opened it, his gaze immediately falling upon the small mound on the bed and the neatly arranged slippers beside it.

‘Was he asleep?’

‘That must be why he hadn’t heard his voice.’

The rush of cold air conditioning instantly calmed the irritation simmering within Gong He.

Gong He politely stood at the doorway and knocked on the room door.

The person on the bed offered not the slightest response, from beginning to end.

Sensing something was amiss, Gong He swiftly stepped forward, pulling back the quilt covering An Ran.

He found An Ran with a furrowed brow, pale lips, and two unnatural flushes of red on his cheeks.

Gong He instinctively brushed the back of his hand against An Ran’s face; the scorching heat made him retract his hand immediately.

He gently shook An Ran’s shoulder, and seeing no sign of him waking, Gong He cast aside all reservations.

He lifted An Ran from the bed and hurried out the door.

The infirmary was not far from the dorms, and Gong He’s act of carrying An Ran as he ran towards it drew numerous curious glances from passersby.

Gong He pressed his lips together, wishing he had brought an extra piece of clothing, if only to cover An Ran’s face.

In his haste, he hadn’t considered such details.

As it was lunchtime, the infirmary was largely empty.

Gong He gently placed An Ran onto a bed.

The doctor’s ‘death stare’ immediately fell upon him, and observing An Ran’s unnatural complexion, she sharply inquired, “What happened?”

Gong He remained silent for a few seconds, unsure how to explain, then hesitantly offered, “Heatstroke?”

He vaguely recalled An Ran being excused from training and allowed to rest in the dorm due to heatstroke.

The doctor examined An Ran’s body, and only after finding no suspicious marks did she breathe a sigh of relief.

‘She didn’t want Alphas causing trouble at school.’

‘The school also strictly forbade such incidents.’

Gazing at An Ran’s pale face, she was suddenly reminded of the freshman brought in that day after collapsing during training.

Her expression softened, and she generously praised Gong He. “You did very well.”

Gong He remained in the infirmary for a while until Fu Zao arrived, breathless.

Upon seeing Gong He sitting outside, he hastily uttered several “thank yous.”

“Then I’ll be heading back.”

An Ran awoke once in the interim, his consciousness hazy, but unable to fight off the overwhelming drowsiness, he drifted back into a muddled sleep.

Fu Zao stayed by his side, watching over him until An Ran fully regained consciousness sometime after three in the afternoon.

He blinked in confusion, staring at the white ceiling.

Fu Zao felt his forehead, looking at him with concern. “How are you feeling? Is there anywhere else you’re uncomfortable?”

An Ran’s eyes gradually cleared as he realized he was in the school infirmary.

His voice was a little hoarse. “I don’t seem to be feeling well anywhere.”

Fu Zao poured him a cup of water, helping him sit up to drink it. “The doctor said your heatstroke hasn’t fully recovered yet. Body aches and weakness are normal symptoms, so you need to rest properly.”

An Ran nodded, indicating he understood. “Aren’t you supposed to be at military training?”

“Thanks to you, the instructor told me to stay and look after you,” Fu Zao said, glaring at him indignantly. “How could you be so muddled that you didn’t even realize you were sick?”

An Ran’s heatstroke hadn’t fully recovered, leaving him feeling dizzy for the past few days, which he had assumed was normal.

He hadn’t finished his medication yet and had originally planned to take the last dose today before returning to the infirmary for more.

However, he had felt so dizzy upon waking this morning that he hadn’t bothered with any of it, simply going back to bed to continue sleeping.

Fu Zao took a deep breath and launched into a scolding. “You have no idea how many calls I made to you. I was so worried when I couldn’t reach you. If I hadn’t run into Gong He at the dorms, I wouldn’t have known what to do.”

An Ran, who had been quietly enduring the lecture, froze upon hearing the name “Gong He.” “What?”

Fu Zao explained, “Didn’t we agree I’d bring you lunch at noon? You didn’t show up, and I waited for ages downstairs by the dorms. I wanted to come up and find you, but Omegas aren’t allowed into Alpha dorms. Luckily, I saw Gong He at the entrance, so I asked him to take the lunchbox to you and check on you, since you weren’t answering my calls.”

An Ran swallowed. “So, Gong He found me unconscious?”

Fu Zao nodded. “That’s right, and Gong He was the one who brought you to the infirmary.”

An Ran’s mind was a complete blur. “How did Gong He bring me here? On a stretcher?”

Fu Zao suddenly cast him a suggestive glance, teasing, “Of course he carried you! If he hadn’t run all the way to the infirmary with you in his arms, I wouldn’t have even known you’d fainted.”

An Ran: [!!!]

Fu Zao: “You’re so thin, why would he need a stretcher? Besides, Gong He is an Alpha. Alphas are naturally much stronger than Omegas and Betas; I bet he could lift you with one hand.”

An Ran’s eyes widened in shock, and he asked, his voice strained, “Then… didn’t other people see?”

Fu Zao: “How else do you think I’d know? I don’t even have Gong He’s WeChat.”

An Ran now felt as though his world had collapsed while he slept.

Fu Zao mischievously showed An Ran the photo taken by their group chat members. “You have no idea how the entire Omega chat exploded when this picture appeared. Everyone thought Gong He had done something to you.”

An Ran, clad in his pajamas, leaned against Gong He, his face pale.

He looked as if he had been utterly ravaged.

Fu Zao: “Speaking of which, you two look really well-matched in this photo.”

An Ran exuded the aura of a frail beauty, while Gong He, with a furrowed brow, betrayed a hint of anxiety on his face.

Moreover, An Ran’s slender frame made him seem like a small figurine in Gong He’s arms, highlighting their significant size difference.

Fu Zao: “Want me to send you a copy of the photo? I think it’s incredibly artistic, definitely something worth treasuring.”

An Ran felt as though the sky had fallen as he stared at the photograph.

****

No sooner had Gong He returned An Ran to the dorm than his phone began to buzz incessantly with messages.

Lu Ye: –Old Gong! I can’t believe you’re playing so wild?!–

Gong He: –?–

Lu Ye: –Heard you knocked out a Beta and ran him to the infirmary in your arms.–

Gong He: –?–

Lu Ye: –[image.jpg]–

Lu Ye: –Don’t even try to say that’s not you in the picture. Even if you turned to ash, your dad here would still recognize you.–

Gong He tapped to open the image, his gaze drawn to An Ran’s pale face.

He had noticed the stares of others at the time, but there had been no opportunity to explain, and he hadn’t anticipated such a misunderstanding arising from it.

Gong He: –He’s my roommate. He fainted from a fever, so I just took him to the infirmary.–

Lu Ye: –Alright, I thought you were so fierce you knocked someone out.–

Lu Ye: –Tsk tsk.–

Lu Ye: –But seriously, you two actually look quite well-matched.–

Gong He: –Do you want me to block you?–

Lu Ye: –.–

Lu Ye: –No wonder your roommate doesn’t like you. Who would like a fierce Alpha?!–

Before blocking Lu Ye, Gong He, as if possessed, clicked into Lu Ye’s chat window and once more opened the image, examining it carefully.

His gaze lingered on An Ran’s pale face, and he remained lost in thought for a long time.