Chen Xu calmly walked forward.
Si Yichen saw his composed expression and assumed he didn’t know anything. Unable to resist the urge to show off, he deliberately said—
“People are born different. No matter how much you struggle, it’s useless.”
He straightened his shirt, holding the speech manuscript in his hand, and lifted his chin confidently, ready to step onto the stage.
Chen Xu glanced at him but didn’t respond.
Si Yichen thought he had successfully crushed him.
Just as he was about to step onto the stage, the host’s voice rang out.
“Next, let’s welcome the freshman representative—”
Si Yichen’s face was full of smugness.
But the name the host called out—
Wasn’t his.
It was Chen Xu.
Chen Xu walked past him, glancing at him with a half-smile.
“You’re right,” he said.
Si Yichen froze.
Unbelievable.
He could only watch in shock as Chen Xu, bathed in the spotlight, stepped onto the stage—a stage that was supposed to be his.
—
As soon as Chen Xu appeared, the crowd erupted.
No one had expected the freshman representative to be this good-looking.
Despite the commotion, Chen Xu remained calm and composed, speaking steadily—
“Please quiet down, thank you.”
But instead of calming down, the students below became even more excited.
“Oh my god! Why did no one tell me the freshman representative is this handsome?!”
“And his voice! He should be in the entertainment industry!”
“Wait—you guys don’t recognize him? He’s the top scorer in the province! Chen Xu! He even went viral!”
“Holy sh*t! No wonder he looked familiar! He’s even better-looking in person than in photos!”
“This guy’s handsomeness totally beats out the top idols!”
The teachers had to intervene to maintain order before the crowd finally settled down.
And then—
Another wave of shock hit.
Chen Xu was speaking without looking at his script.
His delivery was fluent, steady, and impactful.
It was just a simple freshman speech, yet he made the plain wooden podium shine like a stage under the brightest lights.
When his speech ended, the applause thundered.
Some students even whistled, annoying the teachers, who rushed forward to reprimand them.
—
As Chen Xu stepped off the stage, Si Yichen stood frozen, staring at him as if he wanted to tear him apart.
“You did this on purpose!”
Si Yichen stormed forward, grabbing Chen Xu’s collar.
But Chen Xu remained unfazed.
“I just got what I deserved.”
His tone was calm, but the words were cutting—mocking Si Yichen’s inability to surpass him academically and his need to manipulate things behind the scenes.
“You—!”
Si Yichen’s face turned red with fury.
“Fine! Just you wait! One day, you’ll fall!”
Chen Xu brushed off his clothes and said indifferently—
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Seeing how unbothered Chen Xu was, Si Yichen’s rage burned even hotter.
But he could do nothing.
Instead, he could only turn and take his anger out on Mr. Zhou.
—
After Chen Xu left, two figures stepped out from the shadows of the hallway corner.
“Did you get the recording?”
“Yep. We’ve got tomorrow’s top headline.”
“Perfect.”
—
Chen Xu collected his military training uniform and shoes and returned to the dorm.
Inside, Zhu Yaoyuan and the others were trying on their shoes.
“The soles are so stiff! Standing in formation for an hour is gonna be hell,” Zhu Yaoyuan complained.
Beside him, Tang Zhen pulled out a pack of sanitary pads from his suitcase, tore off two pieces, and handed them to Zhu Yaoyuan.
Zhu Yaoyuan’s face immediately turned red.
“Wait, Tang Zhen, you…?”
His gaze drifted downward.
Could Tang Zhen not only be gay but also have undergone surgery?!
But—he had never heard of a man who had transitioned still having periods…
“What are you thinking?!”
Tang Zhen rolled his eyes.
“I heard from seniors that these are a lifesaver during training—just put them inside your shoes. They absorb sweat and soften the soles. Total game-changer.”
“Oh, oh, oh—so that’s how it works!”
Zhu Yaoyuan, still embarrassed, quickly took two pieces and thanked him.
Tang Zhen then turned to Chen Xu.
“You want some?”
Chen Xu didn’t hesitate.
“Thanks.”
Seeing that Chen Xu was cold by nature but not arrogant, Tang Zhen gave a genuine smile.
“No problem.”
“What about you, Wu Bin?”
Tang Zhen asked the quietest member of the dorm.
Though he didn’t particularly like Wu Bin, always feeling that he had a somewhat gloomy air about him, they were stuck together for four years—it was better to get along.
Wu Bin muttered, shaking his head. “I don’t need it. I don’t want people thinking I’m a pervert…”
His voice wasn’t loud, but since Tang Zhen was standing close by, he heard it clearly.
Tang Zhen was not someone with endless patience. His face immediately darkened.
“Say that again? How am I a pervert?”
Wu Bin flinched slightly but stubbornly held his ground.
“It’s just weird. Using stuff for girls—what else would you call that if not perverted?”
“I already said—it’s just because it absorbs sweat and works as a cushion!”
Tang Zhen’s tone was sharp.
“Only a filthy mind would see something dirty in it.”
After that, he stormed back to his seat.
Wu Bin mumbled under his breath—
“Freaking sissy. Disgusting.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Tang Zhen exploded.
He lunged at Wu Bin, ready to throw a punch, but Zhu Yaoyuan quickly stepped in and held him back.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Tang Zhen, calm down! We’re all in the same dorm, we have to live together for four years!”
“He deserves to get hit!”
Tang Zhen was still struggling to break free, eyes filled with fury.
Zhu Yaoyuan pushed him back toward his desk, trying to de-escalate the situation.
Wu Bin, clearly startled, shrunk back, keeping his head low and silent.
Chen Xu stepped forward.
“If you don’t want to live in 302, you can talk to the instructor about switching. It’s still early in the semester, it should be easy to transfer.”
Wu Bin said nothing, showing no intention of changing dorms.
“Since you’re staying, then watch what you say,” Chen Xu continued, his voice calm but firm.
“Not everyone in the world is your mother. No one is obligated to tolerate you.”
Chen Xu didn’t like getting involved in conflicts, but since they’d be living together, he didn’t want constant arguments in the dorm because of Wu Bin’s foul mouth.
Wu Bin remained silent, head still bowed, making it look like Chen Xu was the one bullying him.
Zhu Yaoyuan tried to smooth things over.
“We’re all roommates. It’s normal to have some conflicts, but let’s just talk things out instead of fighting.”
Tang Zhen huffed, crossing his arms.
“I don’t want any connection with this kind of person.”
Zhu Yaoyuan gave him a pleading look, silently begging him to drop it.
“Fine. For Yaoyao’ sake, I’ll let it go.”
Tang Zhen winked at Zhu Yaoyuan.
Zhu Yaoyuan: “…Just call me Yaoyuan.”
“Okay, Yaoyao~” Tang Zhen smiled sweetly.
Zhu Yaoyuan: “…”
“…Whatever makes you happy.”
That evening, they went to the cafeteria together.
Wu Bin didn’t come, so it was just the three of them.
As they ate, Zhu Yaoyuan suddenly gasped.
“Chen Xu—how does your brain even work?! You actually scored 738 on the exam!”
After finding out that Chen Xu was the province’s top scorer, he was completely shocked.
Compared to him, that Si Yichen from the forums was nothing!
“Seriously! When you were giving your speech today, you were insanely cool! The whole forum is going crazy about you now.”
Tang Zhen was still scrolling through posts.
“Hahaha, people are even asking if you have a girlfriend. Tons of people are offering themselves up! Wanna take a look?”
Tang Zhen held out his phone.
Chen Xu glanced at it briefly but showed zero interest.
“Not interested.”
Zhu Yaoyuan sighed dramatically.
“Ugh, your luck with romance is unfair. If only you could share some of it with me!”
Tang Zhen pointed at himself.
“I volunteer!”
Zhu Yaoyuan: “…”
“…Thanks, but wrong gender.”
Tang Zhen gasped.
“How?! I’m this gorgeous and you don’t feel anything?!”
Zhu Yaoyuan laughed at his dramatic expression.
“Hahaha, honestly? I think Chen Xu is prettier than you.”
Tang Zhen turned and stared at Chen Xu, locking eyes with him.
For a second, he actually felt electrified.
“Whoa—whoa, no way! I refuse to be the third wheel!”
As they walked to the cafeteria, they were being recorded the whole way.
The cafeteria lady was especially friendly when she saw Chen Xu.
“This kid is so handsome! But you’re too thin—eat more!”
And so, a completely unfair situation unfolded.
Chen Xu’s plate was stacked with food, while other students questioned whether the cafeteria auntie had shaky hands when serving them.
“Wow, Chen Xu, the auntie totally favors you! Look at all that food!”
Zhu Yaoyuan sat next to him, envious.
“I haven’t started eating yet. Take some if you want.”
Chen Xu pushed his tray slightly toward him.
Zhu Yaoyuan’s eyes lit up.
“Really?! Awesome! Thanks!”
Then, Tang Zhen arrived—
And his plate had only two dishes.
Both were vegetarian.
Zhu Yaoyuan stared at his plate in shock.
“Wait—you actually like eating grass?!”
Tang Zhen shrugged.
“I’m trying to lose weight.”
Zhu Yaoyuan gave him a once-over.
“You’re already so skinny—what weight do you need to lose?”
“You straight guys just don’t get it.”
Tang Zhen dismissed his concern and picked up a bite of stir-fried cabbage, eating it happily.
The Next Morning
At the crack of dawn, the alarm blared.
Chen Xu rolled over, pulling the blanket over his head and continuing to sleep.
“Chen Xu! Get up!”
As Zhu Yaoyuan passed by his bed, he saw him still sleeping and, taking advantage of his height, gave him a firm shake.
A moment later, Tang Zhen also climbed onto a chair and nudged him.
“Wake up!”
Finally, Chen Xu unwillingly sat up, rubbing his eyes sleepily.
His black hair was messy, sticking up from sleep, and his fair skin looked fresh and smooth—without a hint of oiliness.
Tang Zhen studied his face carefully, feeling like he had just swallowed a whole lemon.
First Day of Training
They rushed downstairs to assemble, but because they were slow, they were punished by having to stand in formation for thirty minutes.
By the end of the day, most people were exhausted.
Chen Xu, however, was completely fine.
Thanks to his regular workouts, he wasn’t even tired.
He casually grabbed his toiletries and walked lightly to the showers.
Tang Zhen, half-dead with exhaustion, collapsed onto his bed and groaned.
“Chen Xu is an absolute monster. I’m about to die, and he still has the energy to go take a shower!”
He had thought Chen Xu was just as fragile as himself—but turns out, he was stronger than Zhu Yaoyuan!
“I can’t feel my legs…”
Zhu Yaoyuan sat on his chair, massaging his aching thighs.
Covered in sticky sweat, he felt uncomfortable and planned to shower right after Chen Xu finished.
A Call from Si Ye
Chen Xu didn’t take long in the shower.
He wasn’t at home, so he couldn’t take his time soaking in a bath.
The moment he stepped out, his phone rang.
He quickly walked over and checked the screen—
It was Si Ye.
Without realizing it, his entire expression softened.
Like he was bathed in gentle moonlight.
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