Chapter 12: Slap in the Face
Shen Bumian originally didn’t know about the forum incident. He wasn’t really fond of browsing forums or StarNet, so he was often slow to catch up on the latest news.
It wasn’t until he was resting in the dormitory that Zhou Yizhou came back and told him about the post.
“Bumian! I was away from you for just one afternoon, and you’re already being cursed at?”
Zhou Yizhou barged into the dorm room in a huff, his face flushed with anger.
Shen Bumian, who was just about to take a nap before the afternoon class, felt a bit baffled by Zhou Yizhou’s words.
“What’s going on? Who’s cursing me?”
“You don’t know? People are stepping all over you, and you’re completely unaware?”
Zhou Yizhou thought Bumian really lacked common sense.
Under Zhou Yizhou’s intense, almost devouring gaze, Shen Bumian forced himself to stay awake and took the light-brain device from Zhou Yizhou to read through everything. His feelings were mixed, and even his drowsiness faded somewhat.
He seemed to have a good idea of who was behind this, but he had no proof.
After explaining the situation to Zhou Yizhou, the latter became even more furious, almost ready to chase the culprit down the internet cables with a knife.
“Damn it! Who does he think he is to spread lies about you? I swear, I’ll beat him to death!”
Shen Bumian quickly pulled him back. “We don’t have any evidence yet! Zhouzhou, don’t be rash.”
Just as he finished speaking, Shen Bumian received a message from Qin Lüzhi. Shen Bumian was surprised that Qin Lüzhi also knew about this.
It seemed he, like Zhouzhou, enjoyed browsing the forums.
“Zhouzhou, calm down. Qin Lüzhi is gathering evidence. Let’s wait for him to finish before we make our move.”
“Fine, but when will that be?”
“Tonight.”
“Huh? Tonight? That fast? Impressive efficiency.”
With the commotion, there was no time for a nap. The afternoon was Mecha class.
Shen Bumian hadn’t expected to get hands-on with mechas so early in the semester, and he was looking forward to it.
Entering the mecha room, Shen Bumian noticed several other classes were there as well. There were many unfamiliar faces.
It seemed the mecha class was a major course, taken by several classes together.
“Hey, that’s Shen Bumian, right? Did you hear about what happened at noon? He looks decent, but I didn’t expect him to be like that.”
“Aren’t all omegas supposed to be kind and beautiful?”
“Hmph, we definitely don’t consider him one of us omegas. No way we’d be that embarrassing.”
They didn’t lower their voices, so everyone around could hear. Zhou Yizhou was about to charge over instantly.
“You guys are full of crap! You don’t know anything, yet you’re running your mouths. Do your families know how foul your mouths are?”
“Exactly! Do you think we don’t know what he’s like? Who are you, from some other planet, to come here and make wild accusations?”
The First Military Academy was highly inclusive. Aside from students from the First Planet, they also recruited from the other seven major planets.
Everyone on the First Planet knew who Shen Bumian was, but people from other planets didn’t necessarily.
Zhou Mian was also in this class. Watching the outsiders question Shen Bumian gave him a strange sense of satisfaction. Yes, that’s how it should be.
Shen Bumian’s gaze fell on the omega from noon. What a coincidence—they ended up in the same class.
“Why shouldn’t we talk about it? If he dares to do it, why can’t people talk? Someone who only knows how to seduce Alphas can’t be a good person.”
A burst of laughter erupted. Everyone knew what they were implying. Based on a single post from the forum, they had concluded that Shen Bumian was pestering Qin Lüzhi.
“Hey, wait a minute, aren’t you all forgetting something?”
Without saying much, they suddenly remembered something. What was it?
“Uh, Qin Lüzhi and Shen Bumian are actually engaged, aren’t they? What does it matter to us how they act?”
Ah, right! The Qin and Shen families were set to marry. Even the royal family had approved of it. They had assumed that Qin Lüzhi, who never liked omegas, would hate this arranged marriage.
But now, it seemed like the two were getting along just fine.
At the start of the school year, Qin Lüzhi had waited in the sun for over an hour just to pick up Shen Bumian and bring him to the academy.
Then during their pheromone test, Qin Lüzhi had been triggered into a susceptibility period by Shen Bumian’s pheromones. After that, Qin Lüzhi helped move dorm rooms, and they even had meals together. These were all things people had either seen or heard about.
So, clearly, they were fine with the marriage. Who were these people accusing Shen Bumian of pestering Qin Lüzhi?
This had to be a setup! The people from the First Planet were furious, convinced that someone was trying to frame their “Shen Beauty.”
If Shen Bumian knew what they were thinking, he would definitely roast them for their slow reaction time. Maybe even question their intelligence.
Wasn’t it obvious from the start that this was a deliberate attempt to frame him? They were only figuring it out now?
Zhou Mian was shaken to his core when he heard about the engagement between Qin Lüzhi and Shen Bumian. How was that possible?
If it was true, then the forum post would be invalidated on its own!
All that talk about Shen Bumian chasing after Qin Lüzhi, and Qin Lüzhi ignoring him, was all wrong!
Zhou Mian’s mind raced. He was starting to panic, but then he thought to himself, “Well, it wasn’t me who made the post. It was some high-level blackmailer. No way this can be traced back to me.”
“Look at the door! It’s Senior Qin!”
“It really is! What’s he doing here?”
“What do you think? He’s obviously here to find our Bumian. Just you wait—someone’s about to get slapped in the face!”
Zhou Yizhou finally felt some relief. Qin Lüzhi still had a conscience, after all.
Hearing the commotion, Shen Bumian turned his head. Sure enough, Qin Lüzhi was standing at the door, his gaze locked in his direction.
The Alpha was dressed in the academy’s standard uniform, neatly fitted to his body. The uniform hugged his broad shoulders and narrow waist, showing off his figure perfectly.
His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his solid forearms. The muscles were smooth but not exaggerated, and the faint blue veins were visible, hinting at the tension they could hold when strained.
Qin Lüzhi walked toward them with steady steps, and even Shen Bumian couldn’t help but be dazzled for a moment.
A top-tier Alpha’s physique was really something. Shen Bumian actually appreciated this type—lean in clothes, muscular when bare, and an undeniable powerhouse.
Shen Bumian had always been tolerant of strong people.
Unfortunately, it was well-known that Qin Lüzhi didn’t like omegas, and he had made it clear that he had no feelings for Shen Bumian.
Otherwise, they could have been good friends, maybe even intimate comrades who could trust each other with their lives.
Shen Bumian had grown up without understanding what it meant to like someone. Others often said he was emotionally slow. He would look at strong or good-looking people a little longer, but in his mind, friendship was possible—just not love.
His marriage to Qin Lüzhi was a matter of mutual benefit.
The Alpha stopped in front of him. Despite Shen Bumian’s height of 1.8 meters, he still had to slightly look up. “Why are you here?”
“There’s been a development. It was Zhou Mian who hired someone to do it. The omega who stirred things up at noon. I came to let you know.”
Qin Lüzhi’s gaze swept across the room. With just one glance, the people who had been speaking earlier didn’t dare to make a sound.
It wasn’t anything special—just the overwhelming pressure of a top-tier Alpha. Even though Qin Lüzhi didn’t release any pheromones, they still felt a sense of oppression.
Once again, they were reminded of the massive gap between them and a top Alpha.
“Also, I’m here to back you up, in case anyone doesn’t know their place and spouts nonsense. After all, this whole mess started because of me.”
Shen Bumian tilted his head and smiled a little. He didn’t need anyone to back him up—Qin Lüzhi was just too principled for his own good.
And Zhou Mian… if he knew that the person he was trying to seduce had just outed him as the instigator, how would he feel?
Looking over, Shen Bumian saw Zhou Mian gritting his teeth and glaring at him. The emotions in his eyes were easy to read. Shen Bumian had seen it many times before—it was unwillingness.
“Alright, everyone, enough talk. Let’s get to class.” The teacher finally spoke up.
Everyone returned to their respective spots, but many couldn’t help sneaking glances at Qin Lüzhi, who stood next to the teacher.
After what had just happened, the truth behind the forum post was clear. Shen Bumian hadn’t even said a word, yet Qin Lüzhi had already sought him out. The situation was obvious—who was clinging to whom?
“Students, this is your first mecha class. The entire afternoon will be dedicated to this course. In the first half, we’ll cover some theoretical knowledge about mechas, and in the second half, you’ll get hands-on experience.
Due to the inherent dangers of working with mechas, the school has arranged for senior students to assist with the teaching.
This is your senior, Qin Lüzhi. He’s widely recognized as the strongest Alpha, excelling in all areas. We’re quite fortunate to have him helping with our class today. Let’s begin.”
Some students, putting two and two together, figured they were benefiting from Shen Bumian’s connection.
Qin Lüzhi didn’t say much, just a nod of acknowledgment, which seemed like a greeting.
His gaze lingered on Shen Bumian for a moment longer, and everyone understood the unspoken message.
“Zhou Mian, please answer this question.”
Qin Lüzhi looked at the roster and, without any emotion, randomly picked a name.
“This question… um, I…”
Zhou Mian stammered, unable to answer.
Qin Lüzhi’s cold gaze swept over him. “Your basic knowledge is lacking. Copy it ten times and memorize it. Next…”
Zhou Mian didn’t dare to argue and could only sit back down.
Soon, the others realized that everyone who had badmouthed Shen Bumian earlier was being called on, and the questions were just difficult enough to stump them.
Even the slowest students finally realized that their usually impartial Senior Qin was using his authority to settle personal scores.
No one dared to mess with him anymore. They hoped to avoid seeing this senior again in the future; he could kill without lifting a finger.
Seeing Shen Bumian smirk slightly, Qin Lüzhi couldn’t say why, but his heart skipped a beat.
The sun was still blinding, and the clouds drifted lazily toward the horizon.
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