A Drop in Rank and a Sudden Downpour

“Yo, how come you’re not in your usual tenth spot?”

Zhang Qian stroked his chin, browsing the circulated monthly exam results. His gaze, as always, settled on the tenth position.

From junior high until now, Ji Ye’s class ranking had consistently remained at tenth place, never changing. This was perhaps due to him not being in the experimental class. Yet, at this moment, things were different.

“You’ve dropped to eleventh now!” Zhang Qian shook his head, sighing at Ji Ye. “You’ve fallen behind, haven’t you?”

Ji Ye snatched the report card from his hand, glanced at it, then passed it to someone in another group. To say he wasn’t bothered would be a lie, but he feigned indifference, maintaining a calm expression.

“The exam hall is like a battlefield; victory and defeat are common occurrences in war.” He tried to keep his tone as flat as possible, ensuring no one could discern even a hint of emotion from his words.

Zhang Qian, assuming Ji Ye was about to give up, tapped his head and encouraged him, saying, “You need to work harder on your academic subjects, kid. Don’t get gloomy or too disheartened over one result. Besides, many people’s rankings dropped this time.”

“Got it, got it.” The gloom in Ji Ye’s heart instantly dissipated. Many people thought he wasn’t serious about academics because he was taking art exams.

However, he didn’t see it that way. His participation in art exams stemmed from his love for painting.

While his academic scores were indeed a significant hurdle, he never sought excuses, instead putting in double the effort. Receiving Zhang Qian’s encouragement made him genuinely happy.

“Hey, Ji Ye, your school hunk ranking dropped!” A boy dashed over, holding his phone and pointing at the ranking interface, his voice filled with shock.

Upon hearing this, the surrounding classmates immediately pulled out their phones and logged onto the school forum.

School hunk rankings were updated once every semester. Apart from Zhu Hao, who had held the first spot for four years, and the unyielding Ji Ye at tenth, everyone else’s positions usually changed. This time, however, not only had the first place changed, but the tenth had as well.

Zhang Qian shot up from his seat, his head practically glued to the phone screen, his eyes fixated on the names.

Though Ji Ye ranked tenth, his looks were publicly acknowledged as top three. The only reason for his lower ranking was that his features still retained a youthful innocence compared to the top two, evoking a sense of protectiveness. Additionally, new transfer students with similar good looks were often more mature than him, which pushed him to tenth place—a fact that contributed to his status as the class pet.

Upon hearing this “bad news,” Ji Ye, the person in question, looked surprised. He leaned in as well, and upon seeing the name at the top of the screen, he instantly understood. He then calmly settled back into his seat. He wasn’t surprised that He Chuanrong had claimed the top spot.

Zhang Qian returned the phone to its owner, also having no objections to the ranking. From the very first day He Chuanrong arrived, he had a premonition that someone would be pushed down, but he never expected that person to be Ji Ye.

“The vice-class monitor is too amazing; he just arrived and already snatched both first places,” the boy with the phone exclaimed in admiration.

“And he’s a formidable Alpha! He completely crushed Zhu Hao, leaving him no room to retaliate. His score surpassed Zhu Hao’s by thirty points, and his looks garnered five hundred more votes.”

Someone interjected.

The atmosphere in the classroom instantly grew lively, with everyone proudly proclaiming their belonging to Class 8.

Ye Huicheng, anxiously waiting in his seat, had no interest in such trivial matters. However, hearing everyone praise He Chuanrong made his brows furrow in irritation. Thinking of his own ranking, he couldn’t help but grip his milk tea tighter.

“It’s just a pity for our class pet. His four-year reign as tenth place ended, and by his own deskmate, no less,” someone sighed with regret.

“We don’t care about such fleeting fame. Besides, he’s my deskmate, and I’m happy for him to surpass me,” Ji Ye said, equally unconcerned.

He truly had no objections, as He Chuanrong’s excellence was evident to all.

“Exactly, rankings aren’t important,” Zhang Qian chimed in, supporting him.

“But you’re an A!”

Someone quipped, and the crowd fell silent for a moment before erupting into boisterous laughter, as if a pot had boiled over.

The boy with the phone reacted quickly, a teasing glint in his eyes as he looked at Ji Ye. He wanted to tease him too, but dared not. Although Ji Ye had a face that looked very docile, when he fought, his movements were swift and decisive, capable of kicking someone into a wall.

He thought about it and decided against it, returning to his seat.

Physically speaking, only an E could suppress an A, yet few were willing to be with an E. After all, they were carriers of high-functioning antisocial traits; even if Es were generally good-looking, no one wanted to take the risk.

Ji Ye didn’t react for a moment, not understanding what they were laughing about. He looked at Zhang Qian, full of confusion.

Zhang Qian glared at the crowd, then pulled Ji Ye’s thin hoodie hood over his head, carefully tightening the drawstrings, effectively isolating Ji Ye from the others.

At this sight, the laughter of the crowd grew even louder, nearly drowning out the final school bell.

Ye Huicheng, already annoyed, became even more furious. He glanced at the source of the loudest laughter, then silently cursed them in his heart.

Tian Jingwen, who entered just as the last bell rang, didn’t know what they were laughing about, so she quickly sat down and asked her deskmate.

“What happened? Everyone’s laughing so happily?”

Ye Huicheng didn’t answer. After a moment of hesitation, he pushed his milk tea towards Tian Jingwen’s hand.

“Oh, why the sudden treat?” She naturally picked up the milk tea, inserted the straw, and began to drink.

The two often brought each other snacks, so Tian Jingwen didn’t think much of it. Instead, she gave a hearty laugh and patted Ye Huicheng’s shoulder. “Thanks, buddy.”

Ye Huicheng saw that the worry on her face had significantly lessened, and his heart brightened. He smiled, “It’s lightly sweetened, a new flavor. I just knew you’d like it.”

He had specifically detoured to buy the milk tea before evening self-study. He had initially planned to give it to Tian Jingwen as soon as he arrived, but then he had a little idea, wanting to give it to her during the break instead.

However, Tian Jingwen got up and left as soon as class ended, not even giving him a chance to speak.

His mood was terrible throughout the entire break. It wasn’t until Tian Jingwen returned and he handed her the milk tea that he felt everything was worth it, even if it wasn’t as attention-grabbing as it would have been during the break.

****

At the exact moment the bell stopped ringing, He Chuanrong appeared at the classroom door. As he walked to his seat, he occasionally caught glimpses of students stealing glances and others peeking at him before covering their mouths and giggling with their deskmates.

When he met a scrutinizing gaze for the third time, his face instantly hardened. He glared at the person, who immediately averted their eyes, shrank their neck, and awkwardly pretended to scratch their head.

He Chuanrong paid them no further mind, walking towards his seat. But just as he was about to sit down, the scene before him made him freeze in astonishment.

Zhang Qian, having successfully pulled a prank, clapped his hands excitedly. Just as he was about to turn, he unexpectedly met He Chuanrong’s eyes.

A chill ran down his spine. In a daze, he seemed to perceive a hint of warning in those eyes, and a powerful sense of oppression enveloped the surroundings.

By the time he snapped back to reality, only the usual detachment remained in He Chuanrong’s eyes. Zhang Qian rubbed his nose, awkwardly turning away.

‘What was there to be scared of? He’s a Beta, and I’m an Alpha!’

Zhang Qian, realizing this belatedly, was filled with regret. He buried his head in his book, no longer in the mood to delve into the fleeting oppressive aura he’d felt from He Chuanrong. He felt utterly humiliated, an Alpha defeated in an aura battle.

Ji Ye, still unaware of what had happened, fumbled with his hoodie drawstrings. Zhang Qian had tied them so tightly that the original slipknot had become a stubborn dead knot.

“Zhang Qian, you have three seconds to untie this.”

The threatening words emerged from inside the hoodie, having lost their original fierceness and transforming into something else as they reached his ears.

Something flashed in He Chuanrong’s eyes. By the time he reacted, a wave of heat seemed to sweep through his body, making him flush. He mentally chastised himself, then leaned over to help Ji Ye.

Feeling a source of warmth beside him, Ji Ye assumed Zhang Qian had a change of heart. He swiftly grabbed the other’s wrist, springing up and twisting the wrist behind their back.

He held “Zhang Qian’s” wrist with one hand and clasped the back of their head with the other, demanding, “Do you know your mistake or not? Who’s the boss here? You little punk, trying to sneak attack me!”

Ji Ye thoughtfully raised his voice, his eyes filled with unconcealed triumph.

Zhang Wu, entering with a thermos, saw this scene and quickly shouted, “Ji Ye, what are you doing? Let go!”

Ji Ye, still constrained by his hoodie, was confused. He thought Old Man Zhang had misunderstood, believing he was about to fight. So, he released the person in his grasp and mumbled a muffled “Oh.”

The person restraining him finally let go, but before He Chuanrong could even stand up, he felt a sharp pinch on the back of his neck, as if in retaliation. This was followed by Ji Ye’s deliberately lowered voice.

“I’ll deal with you later.”

His breath, having traveled through the thin hoodie fabric, was barely discernible when it brushed He Chuanrong’s ear, yet He Chuanrong still felt a burning sensation.

As he straightened up, the gazes that had been fixed on the two of them instantly retracted, as if nothing had happened.

“Stop talking and focus on studying.” Zhang Wu sternly swept his gaze over the gawking students, finally settling on Ji Ye.

“Ji Ye, take off your hood.”

“Oh.”

Ji Ye fumbled to untie the drawstrings.

He Chuanrong’s peripheral vision lingered on those distinct, long, pale fingers, which moved swiftly around the hoodie string.

A minute later, seeing that Ji Ye still hadn’t managed to untie it, He Chuanrong simply put down his pen, leaned closer, and whispered, “I’ll help you.”

The familiar voice reached him, and Ji Ye felt as if he had been granted a great pardon. His hands obediently rested on the desk, awaiting his rescuer.

The classroom’s bright light instantly entered Ji Ye’s vision, causing him to squint slightly.

“Thank you.”

The previous laughter echoed in his head, making his cheeks flush. His gaze abruptly shifted away from He Chuanrong’s deep, cosmic eyes. His breathing became erratic, and he rubbed his cheeks somewhat unnaturally.

He Chuanrong assumed Ji Ye was embarrassed from being scolded in front of everyone, so his gaze towards the back of Zhang Qian’s head gradually darkened, and his fingers tightened around his pen.

To hide his discomfort, Ji Ye didn’t ask He Chuanrong to explain problems as usual throughout the entire evening self-study session.

He Chuanrong’s gaze was fixed on the “culprit,” Zhang Qian’s head, and the paper under his pen had already been torn.

Meanwhile, a sudden downpour began, making He Chuanrong’s expression even grimmer.

After class, the area in front of the teaching building was packed with students. Many who hadn’t brought umbrellas rushed out, brushing past Zhang Qian’s shoulder, almost dragging him along.

“Watch where you’re going!” he yelled at the retreating figures in the pouring rain.

He then turned his head towards Ji Ye and the others. “None of you three brought an umbrella?”

Only silence answered him.

“Fine,” he said, throwing his hands up. “Then we wait.”

The heavy rain lashed against the concrete, and the splashing droplets soaked the pants of students standing closer to the stairs.

“Zhang Qian, none of you have an umbrella?”

Zhou Yao’s voice came through, mingled with the sound of thunder.

Zhang Qian instantly followed the sound, and sure enough, behind them, he saw Zhou Yao approaching, arm-in-arm with a friend.

“No,” he shook his head, his heart leaping with unexpected joy.

Without a word, Zhou Yao pulled her umbrella from the side pocket of her backpack and offered it.

“What about you?”

Another clap of thunder echoed. Zhou Yao pointed to her friend beside her, and then the two walked into the curtain of rain.

“Thank you!” Zhang Qian shouted.

“Class monitor, take this.” Ye Huicheng, walking downstairs with Zhu Hao, spotted Tian Jingwen from afar. He detoured to bring her an umbrella.

Tian Jingwen’s eyes lit up. She was about to say he was a timely savior when she saw Ji Ye subtly gesture towards the umbrella in Zhang Qian’s hand. She understood, turning to Ye Huicheng. “Thanks, we have an umbrella.”

Zhang Qian was still wondering where the umbrella came from when it was snatched from his hand the next second.

“Hey!”

Ji Ye quickly opened the umbrella, tilting most of it towards Tian Jingwen, and then motioned for He Chuanrong to follow him.

“You can go get soaked,” Ji Ye said with a laugh, not looking back.

“Spiteful!” Zhang Qian, unconcerned with the heavy rain, dashed out.

That was Zhou Yao’s umbrella, after all.

Watching their playful retreating figures, Ye Huicheng’s hand froze in mid-air. The umbrella clattered to the ground.

“You seem…” Zhu Hao, who had arrived, deliberately chose his words carefully. He bent down, picked up the umbrella, handed it to him, and said, “…superfluous.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Huicheng’s hatred flared. He stared intently at the figures gradually blurring in the rain.

Meanwhile, Zhang Qian caught up to the trio, trying to squeeze under the umbrella. Ji Ye handed the umbrella to Tian Jingwen, then pulled Zhang Qian over, instantly drenching them all in the heavy rain.

He Chuanrong subtly lowered his gaze to Ji Ye, who was laughing heartily, and a smile unconsciously touched his own eyes.

Eventually, the group reached the bus stop, squeezing into the crowd seeking shelter from the rain.

Taxis came and went in an endless stream, and students bustled about.

“Xiao Chuan.”

A black car pulled up in front of them. The window rolled down, and the man in the driver’s seat called out to He Chuanrong, “Get in.”

“Are these your classmates? Come on, I’ll take you all home,” the man kindly added.

“No trouble, big brother, my mom is coming to pick us up.”

Ji Ye, standing slightly in front of He Chuanrong, said loudly. As he finished speaking, he saw his family’s car slowly emerge from the rainy mist.

Shen Qin and Xie Wen were friends, so whenever one of their families came to pick up a student, they always picked up all three.

“Big brother, you can go ahead. My mom’s already here,” Ji Ye waved at the small car, then said to He Chuanrong, “See you tomorrow.”

The group waved at He Chuanrong and the car in front of them.

“Alright, then we’ll be going.” The man in the driver’s seat gave a hearty laugh. “Xiao Chuan, get in.”

He Chuanrong only reached for the black car’s door handle after a silver-gray car steadily pulled up behind them.

“A Dai.”

Before closing the door, he heard a middle-aged woman’s voice cut through the heavy rain. His breath hitched, and his heart skipped a beat. Although most of the sound was swallowed by the surrounding noise, he still heard it.

He Chuanrong’s expression froze, his hand suspended in the air, poised to close the door.