They thought the entrance exam was hard enough, but the new training completely shattered their worldview.

They thought they had finally escaped a disaster, but someone tell them, why was the monthly exam so much harder than the new training?!

The examinees were filled with unspoken bitterness. They couldn’t help but recall Rong Shi’s casual “sixty, I guess” at the exam hall entrance.

Even Chairman Rong would struggle to pass such a hellishly difficult paper, wouldn’t he?

He had spent this month either distributing papers or flaunting his affection everywhere; he hadn’t seemed to study much.

The examinees in the same hall as Rong Shi frequently glanced at him.

He sat by the window, bathed in light, his dark hair accentuating his stern features.

His posture was straight and upright. Just sitting there quietly, writing on his paper, he was so beautiful it was hard to look away.

Examinees: “…”

The big boss looks incredibly stable.

They then looked at Song Yu on the other side.

As an Alpha, he was excessively beautiful, but even though his beauty was breathtaking, no one dared to openly stare.

To say he was lawless, yet he wouldn’t casually bully people. To say he followed rules, yet he could publicly beat someone to near death.

It seemed no rules could bind him.

Examinees: “…”

Looking closely, he’s really beautiful.

“No looking around during the exam. Time is limited; please answer diligently,” the invigilator reminded them.

Examinees: “…”

We want to answer diligently, but we don’t know how!

The invigilator received their resentful stares: “…”

The ending bell rang. Rong Shi saw “60” displayed on the screen, packed his things, and walked out.

As soon as he stepped out of the classroom door, he was met with wails—

“I couldn’t even understand the questions. I must be an idiot!”

“Since entering military academy, I’ve been a stranger to passing grades.”

“I thought I could redeem myself, but I ended up even worse!”

“Is the person who wrote this paper trying to kill us?”

Seeing Rong Shi walk out, they automatically quieted down.

Each of them was itching to ask him his score, yet feared being even more devastated if they knew.

“Brother Lu is awesome! I asked around, and you’re the only one who scored above fifty!” an Alpha beside Lu Ming said ingratiatingly.

“It’s alright,” Lu Ming replied dismissively, his eyes on Rong Shi, who had just walked out of the exam room.

80% of this exam’s questions were beyond the syllabus. Without a certain breadth of vision and knowledge reserve, relying only on what was learned in class, one could at most score less than 30 points.

He refused to believe that Rong Shi, that slacker, could really score sixty.

The Alpha followed Lu Ming’s gaze and deliberately asked loudly: “Hey, Chairman, what did you score?”

Rong Shi’s gaze swept over Lu Ming and he casually replied: “Doesn’t matter. Slackers don’t care about grades.”

Others: “…”

Chairman really is a slacker.

If others said they didn’t care about grades, no one would believe them. But when Rong Shi said it, it might actually be true.

After all, his title of “the most slacking chairman in military academy history” was still prominently displayed on the forum.

Song Yu and Rong Shi walked out of the exam room one after another, Song Yu’s handsome face looking even more nonchalant due to sleepiness.

Qin Luo asked concernedly: “Brother, what did you do last night? Why are you so tired?”

Song Yu didn’t answer, a suppressed frustration churning inside him.

He had tossed and turned last night, unable to sleep, wanting to log into the game and ask Bunny about Rong Shi, yet fearing to actually hear Rong Shi’s name from Bunny.

Later, he simply sat up and studied those medicine reports, only falling asleep when dawn broke.

Catching Rong Shi’s concerned glance out of the corner of his eye, Song Yu curled his lips, smiling ambiguously: “I wonder who kept bothering me.”

Qin Luo: “…”

Others: “…”

Is it that scandalous?!

Rong Shi, receiving a barrage of stares: “…”

As an adult in his early thirties on the inside, Rong Shi felt he should just ignore such childish provocations.

Unfortunately, the attempt to ignore failed.

Rong Shi: “Since you’re so tired, let’s skip the date then.”

Song Yu felt a dull ache in his chest from anger.

Walking up to him, his eyes provocative: “How can we do that? The date is most important.”

Others: “…”

Why don’t you two just go somewhere where you can sleep?

Qin Luo: “…”

What the hell are these two talking nonsense about? Why can’t I understand them?

The written exam results were released quickly.

Rong Shi and Song Yu topped the charts with a barely passing score of sixty, while Qin Luo and Lu Ming tied for third with fifty-nine points. Zhang Yi, who had previously good grades, dropped out of the top twenty this time.

The forum erupted in heated discussion over this matter—

“These scores definitely scream ‘old slackers’.”

“Rong Shi: No matter how hard your paper is, sixty is enough for me to get by.”

“Ever since he got a wife, he’s lost even more motivation.”

“Even with no motivation, he still got first, and he has a co-first place wife. He’s literally a life winner.”

“Lu Ming’s score actually improved a lot this time, too bad he was only one point short.”

“One point short? He gave his all for that 59, while Rong Shi only aimed for 60. There’s a world of difference, okay?!”

Even though Lu Ming’s previous antics had cost him public favor, he still had many admirers, given that Lu Youqi was a major general with real power, his status and position were undeniable.

Regarding the exam results, the front page was filled with countless controversial posts, and the debate remained unresolved.

In the dorm, Lu Ming smashed a cup, his head aching from anger.

“What exactly does he mean?!” Lu Ming slammed his fist on the table. “Does he think I’m not worthy of being his opponent?!”

Zhang Yi, having failed his own exam, sat on the side, fuming: “Those people on the forum only know how to brag. Rong Shi only scored 60, yet they talk as if he got a perfect score!”

Exaggerating facts was a common skill for gossipmongers.

Lu Ming knew this, of course, but he had clearly heard Rong Shi’s casual “sixty, I guess” at the exam hall entrance.

Could it be that Rong Shi’s true strength was far beyond that?

“Brother Lu, want to deflate Rong Shi’s arrogance?!” Zhang Yi’s eyes flashed fiercely. “The simulated combat exam is tomorrow. If he’s affected today, he’ll definitely screw up tomorrow!”

Lu Ming’s face was grim: “What are you trying to do now?”

Zhang Yi, thinking of something, whispered: “His little brother isn’t in the kindergarten department? I heard he’s quite frail—”

“You want to lay hands on a child?”

Lu Ming clenched his fist, silent for a moment, then said, “No, that’s too wicked.”

After Lu Ming returned to his room, Zhang Yi sat in the living room, his face dark.

His family relied on the Lu family, so he had to serve Lu Ming diligently. If Lu Ming didn’t gain power, he wouldn’t fare well either.

If he could find a way to help Lu Ming rise, his father would also gain face in front of Lu Youqi, and perhaps his own opportunity would come then.

He quietly returned to his bedroom and made a call.

A young man appeared on the virtual screen.

Zhang Yi: “I remember you have a relative’s child in the kindergarten’s junior class?”

The two who had just declared their intention to “date” returned to the dorm.

Song Yu opened the door, turned his head to look at Rong Shi, stepped inside, then pulled his foot back, changed direction, and squeezed in before Rong Shi could close the door.

He couldn’t be at ease without constantly monitoring his love rival.

Rong Shi’s eyes showed impatience: “This is my room.”

Song Yu was very calm: “It’s not like I haven’t been here before.”

Qin Luo: “…”

What the hell happened in the two days I was gone?

The small living room was forced to accommodate three people.

Song Yu lay on the two-seater sofa, engrossed in Mianmian’s fairy tale book. Rong Shi sat on the single sofa, terminal open, doing something unknown. Only Qin Luo felt uncomfortable all over.

Qin Luo: “How about—we play Star Wars?”

The words “Star Wars” twitched Rong Shi and Song Yu’s nerves. Both spoke almost simultaneously.

Rong Shi: “No.”

Song Yu: “No!”

Qin Luo: “…”

If they don’t want to play, they don’t want to play. They scared me to death.

Just as he was wondering whether to abandon the prince and run, his terminal suddenly rang.

Qin Luo swiped to answer. He was about to speak, but his glance caught Rong Shi, and he swallowed his words.

“Go ahead,” Song Yu casually turned a page. “There’s nothing that can’t be said in front of your wife.”

Qin Luo: “…”

“They say Lin Dang and Lin Mo are refusing to cooperate with the investigation. It’s already alarmed Lin Feng.”

Hearing this, Song Yu looked up from the book: “On what grounds are they refusing?”

Qin Luo: “They say they don’t feel anything is wrong with their bodies and have no obligation to cooperate.”

The data for both of them had appeared in that lab’s files. Song Yu had read it once and remembered it.

Thinking of this, he looked at Rong Shi: “What do you know?”

Rong Shi’s finger tapped lightly on the armrest: “Have your people pressure them. I’ll cooperate too. We must get their body data.”

Song Yu: “Why?”

Rong Shi turned his head to look at him: “I suspect—they’re involved in some illegal human experiment.”

Song Yu’s eyes changed, and he sat up abruptly: “What experiment?”

Rong Shi shook his head: “We’ll only know that after we get their data.”

“Holy shit!” Qin Luo’s eyes widened, and he cursed under his breath, “But they’re Lin Feng’s younger brothers.”

In the military, the Lin family was almost on par with the Qin family, a family at the pinnacle of the Empire’s hierarchy. How could they possibly use their own descendants for such experiments?!

The two numbered files flashed before Song Yu’s eyes.

Although there was no evidence to prove it now, he subtly felt that this possibility was very high.

In that case, it made sense that the leadership of the 88th Military District Hospital was doing nothing.

Compared to human experimentation, circulating illegal stimulants was nothing.

If they firmly believed that the laboratory had been destroyed and all records could no longer be found, then they would naturally rest easy.

That afternoon, Rong Shi, acting on behalf of the student council, issued inspection notices to Lin Mo and Lin Dang, and had Chen Chen post an analysis about pheromone stimulants on the forum.

“How did you know I like posting analyses?” Chen Chen asked, a little surprised, when he received Rong Shi’s call.

Rong Shi: “Your frequent ID isn’t hard to guess.”

“Because naming things is a pain,” Chen Chen laughed heartily.

Among a string of posts discussing exam results, another post suddenly popped up.

[Morning Light: Am I the only one who knows how terrifying illegal stimulants are?! Why would Omegas refuse to cooperate with the investigation? It’s bad enough they’re irresponsible with their own bodies, but please don’t drag all Alphas in the school down with you. We don’t want to be affected!]

“Excessive use of illegal stimulants can lead to pheromone discontrol. Don’t let Alphas take the blame again if someone gets marked.”

“I thought the name looked familiar. Aren’t these the two Omegas who had problems recently? And they still won’t get checked?!”

“Please don’t put everyone in danger for your own selfish reasons!”

“You want to be marked, but I don’t want to mark you! Please go get checked, okay?”

The pressure of public opinion was far more troublesome than a mere student council notice.

That afternoon, before dinner time, Lin Mo and Lin Dang received notices from various parties, practically forcing them to undergo examination.

“It’s that Rong Shi again!” Lin Mo cursed aloud. “Why does he keep targeting us?!”

Lin Dang was panicking, tugging at Lin Mo’s sleeve: “He hasn’t discovered anything, has he?”

“Impossible!” Lin Mo said sharply.

Ordinary people couldn’t get into that laboratory at all. Now it was blown to smithereens. If there were any signs of discovery, the higher-ups would definitely notify them.

“But what do we do now?” Lin Dang instinctively touched his gland. “If anything is found during the examination, they’ll definitely not let us off!”

Lin Mo’s face was grim: “We can only have Lin Feng apply pressure. After all, he’s our ‘brother’ in name.”

When he was about to be kicked out of the dorm, Song Yu propped up the doorframe with one hand, blocking Rong Shi’s attempt to close the door.

“Give up, he’s not suitable for you.”

Rong Shi calmly replied: “That’s what I was going to say too.”

Song Yu frowned slightly, his eyes impatient: “I can share information with you, but not my wife.”

Hearing the word “wife,” Rong Shi also frowned: “He’s mine. Do I need you to share him?”

Song Yu’s eyes grew cold: “Whatever you want, if you can say it, I’ll give it to you. Him, I won’t allow.”

Rong Shi’s face was cold: “You don’t need to allow it. He was never yours to begin with.”

A group of people walked down the corridor in the distance, and the two parted ways unhappily.

Separated by two walls, one sulked, hugging a bunny plushie, while the other stared blankly at a small energy stone cat.

—It’s been days since I last saw Bunny/Little Cat.

Rong Shi wrote down and organized the latest investigation results. Seeing that it was still early, he hesitated for two seconds and quickly logged into Star Wars.

To his surprise, the little cat was also online.

For some reason, Rong Shi felt that something was off with the little cat tonight. Those clear, watery cat eyes were still beautiful, but when they looked at him, they carried a hint of grievance.

“I was supposed to give you this report two days ago, but I’ve been a bit busy lately, so—”

The little cat sent him the detailed pharmacological analysis report.

“It’s okay, I have—”

Rong Shi had intended to say that he had already gotten it from his friend, but the words caught in his throat.

As long as he didn’t mention it, he could pretend the love rival didn’t exist.

“Bunny—” The little cat sat next to him by the edge of the arena, stammering, “Next month, I’m participating in the school’s chorus competition. Can you practice with me?”

Singing? Rong Shi wanted to say he was tone-deaf.

But when the refusal was on the tip of his tongue, he saw the little cat’s expectant eyes, and bit the bullet, agreeing.

He hadn’t even sung two lines before the little cat collapsed in laughter.

Rong Shi’s face was blank: “Still practicing?”

Little cat: “Practicing… Pfft ha ha ha ha… Bunny’s singing is the cutest!”

Rong Shi: “…”

Rong Shi watched him leaning against him, laughing, and his heart suddenly felt both sour and sweet.

“Little cat, do I have something dirty on my head?”

The little cat looked up, still laughing: “No, it’s especially white and clean.”

Rong Shi lowered his head slightly: “Look again. It seems to have gotten into the fur.”

“It can get in there?” The little cat sat up straight and fumbled around on his head for a long time: “There’s nothing there.”

Rong Shi’s lips curved slightly, and he lowered his head a bit more: “Look closer?”

–

The next day was the practical simulation exam. Rong Shi opened his door and saw Song Yu walking out of the opposite dorm.

On the way to the classroom, Song Yu said with a casual, drawling laugh: “I lost my composure the other day. It’s normal for him to have some friends, considering how outstanding he is.”

Rong Shi casually replied: “I overreacted. It’s good for him to make more ordinary friends, given how outgoing he is.”

Author’s notes:

Little Cat: Getting Bunny to sing for me: check!

Bunny: Getting Little Cat to pat my head: check!

Little Cat, Bunny: He definitely likes me!