ABMSI Chapter 22

“……”

Duan Wei was instantly speechless.

The people around them reacted to Fu Duqiu’s remark like a string of fireworks suddenly set off—bursting with laughter as they all turned to look in their direction, their faces full of suppressed amusement.

Even Fu Duqiu, who had been sitting upright and serious, couldn’t help the curve tugging at the corners of his lips. He turned his head slightly and let out a soft chuckle.

“Is it funny?” Duan Wei asked.

Fu Duqiu composed his expression and nodded. “A bit.”

After that, he pointed to the formula on Duan Wei’s draft paper and said, “This—there’s nothing particularly magical about it. Look,”

Utterly against his will, Duan Wei—who’d just been teased—looked back down at the paper again.

“You plug these two numbers into this formula, and you get a value. This value… it’s kind of fascinating. Now if you put it into this equation, see? The problem solves itself.”

Fu Duqiu used the simplest possible language, sketching and writing on the draft paper as he broke each step down.

Duan Wei nodded, finally feeling that flash of aha clarity. He pulled the paper back to his own desk and started working through the problem exactly as Fu Duqiu had shown him.

Just then, a classmate from the next row—a Beta who had been watching for a while—walked over, holding a problem he’d been struggling with all morning. “Group leader, can you take a look at this?”

Hearing that, Fu Duqiu gave him a brief glance, recognized him as someone from their study group, took the paper, scanned the problem, then quickly filled in the entire solution and handed it back. “Here. Look it over again.”

Watching this whole exchange, Peng Yan glanced at Duan Wei, who was now completely absorbed in his calculations, his draft paper full of formulas and steps. Then he looked at the Beta’s sheet where Fu Duqiu had effortlessly written down the complete solution.

And suddenly, he understood that strange feeling he’d had all along:

Fu Duqiu’s patience with Duan Wei was exactly like that of an adult teaching a child how to hold chopsticks.

By the end of the class period, Duan Wei had finally worked through the entire problem from start to finish with Fu Duqiu’s help. His conclusion: math was definitely not meant for humans.

The bell rang right on time, and the students filed out of the classroom in pairs. The next period was P.E. Even though it had been cold lately, at least it wasn’t raining, so all outdoor activities at No.1 High School were proceeding as scheduled.

Right now, Duan Wei’s head was spinning with formulas and ancient poetry verses, swirling chaotically together. When he shook his head, he almost felt his hard-earned understanding shake loose too.

He stuffed the draft paper into his desk, then ambled toward the sports field with Peng Yan and a few buddies.

By the time they arrived, quite a few students from Class 8 were already gathered there. After a whole day of problem-solving, everyone looked a bit drained.

Since P.E. didn’t require uniforms, many of the girls had taken off their jackets, showing off stylish sweaters underneath—slim-fitting, colorful, and bright against the chilly air. From a distance, it was like a moving landscape painting.

At that moment, a few students from another class passed by their area, their gazes drifting subtly toward someone behind Duan Wei.

Sensing it, Duan Wei turned around—only to see Fu Duqiu standing there at some point.

He was wearing a dark blue sweatshirt, zipped all the way up to his chin. The plain, undecorated fabric made his already fair complexion stand out even more.

A few Omegas walked past, stealing glances at him now and then. But Fu Duqiu acted as if he hadn’t noticed a thing, chatting calmly with a few boys beside him about playing basketball later.

Duan Wei wandered over and found a spot to sit, still half-thinking about the classical poems he’d been memorizing earlier.

When he’d gone to the hospital, the Alpha doctor had told him to avoid strenuous activity for a while after his differentiation—so he’d taken that advice to heart, spending most of his days either sitting or lying down, perfectly content.

The start-of-class whistle blew soon enough. The P.E. teacher, face flushed as if he’d had a drink before class, called the roll and then announced free activity.

Fu Duqiu came over with a basketball he’d just borrowed from the equipment room. “Wanna play a game?”

“Nope.” Duan Wei waved him off lazily, then added, “You go ahead—I’ll just sit over there and watch.”

He said that, then headed straight toward Xu Jianian’s spot. Xu Jianian had never cared much for sports; she was just about to leave when Duan Wei plopped down beside her and pushed her gently back into her seat.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Watching them play,” Duan Wei said matter-of-factly.

“What’s so interesting about that?” Xu Jianian frowned. Truth be told, even when Duan Wei played, she’d never bothered to watch.

Duan Wei couldn’t exactly explain it. In his mind, a guy’s most attractive moments were twofold—when he was solving a problem, and when he was playing sports. But he couldn’t very well tell Xu Jianian that he wanted her to watch Fu Duqiu play basketball to maybe raise her impression of him, could he?

So after thinking for a moment, he simply said, “Just keep me company for a bit. You’ve got nothing better to do anyway.”

He spoke casually, but from Xu Jianian’s perspective, the tone changed completely.

She glanced at Fu Duqiu, who was standing among the crowd, then looked back at Duan Wei. Understanding dawned on her face as she nodded. “Alright then, we’ll watch for a bit.”

There were two outdoor basketball courts beside the track. After some discussion, the group decided to split into two teams. Fu Duqiu’s team included Peng Yan and several other Alphas—guys he often played with. Aside from Fu Duqiu, the rest knew each other’s rhythms perfectly and worked together seamlessly.

The opposing team consisted of Alphas from another class, led by a member of the school basketball team—formidable opponents, to say the least.

Even before the game started, a crowd of students had gathered around the court. The flowerbed where Duan Wei sat was packed shoulder-to-shoulder. Everyone was watching intently, eyes fixed on the court as if waiting for a championship match to begin.

Inside the court, tension flared. Sure, there’s that old saying—“friendship first, competition second”—but these were teenage boys. No one wanted to lose. As soon as the game began, the air was thick with rivalry.

Duan Wei felt a bit uneasy. He’d heard of the Alphas on the opposing team—they were seasoned players. What if Fu Duqiu played poorly? Wouldn’t that tank Xu Jianian’s impression of him?

The worry lasted only until the game started.

As it turned out, he had worried for nothing.

Who was Fu Duqiu? The male lead, of course. Was there anything a male lead couldn’t do?

The answer: absolutely not.

On the court, Fu Duqiu dribbled the ball one-handed, the strings of his dark blue hoodie bouncing against his jawline. His long legs carried him forward, facing several Alphas on defense.

His movements were sharp but not reckless—fast and slow in perfect balance. After a few clever feints, he caught the defender off guard, stepped forward, and jumped. The ball left his hand in a clean arc and swished through the net without even grazing the rim.

The audience erupted in cheers.

He had shot from beyond the three-point line, and the near-perfect shot instantly widened the score gap.

“So handsome!” several Omegas squealed behind Duan Wei. Their voices were nearly drowned out by the cheers, but still reached his ears.

Every guy gets fired up watching a good basketball game, and the boys sitting in front of Duan Wei were no exception—they leapt up, hollering at the top of their lungs. The whole viewing area was electric.

“Class 8 rocks!”
“Come on! Fu Duqiu, let’s go!!”

And before he knew it, Duan Wei got caught up in the excitement too. Blood rushing, he joined the yelling:
“Fu Duqiu, you’re awesome!!”

His voice wasn’t even that loud, quickly swallowed by the roar of the crowd. By all logic, Fu Duqiu shouldn’t have heard him.

Yet at that very moment, Fu Duqiu turned his head. His gaze swept the audience and locked onto Duan Wei. Across the noise and the distance, their eyes met.

Duan Wei froze.

He suddenly realized how stupid he must look, shouting like a fool with a bunch of others. He immediately shut his mouth. But just as he was busy panicking, Fu Duqiu smiled—just faintly—before turning back to the court.

The game stayed fierce and fast-paced. Even though Fu Duqiu’s three-pointer had pulled them ahead, the opposing Alphas quickly adapted, tightening their defense around him. Still, his team grew more coordinated, keeping the game tight and thrilling.

After a while, Duan Wei finally remembered his “mission” and glanced at Xu Jianian beside him.

She, however, was staring at her nails like the fate of humanity depended on her cuticles—utterly disconnected from the excitement around her.

Duan Wei: ???

He coughed lightly, trying to think of something to say to spark her interest. “Don’t you think Fu Duqiu looks cool?”

A few Omegas nearby overheard and exchanged knowing looks.

Xu Jianian glanced lazily at the court. “He’s okay. I actually think Peng Yan’s pretty good-looking.”

“…” Duan Wei blinked. “When did you go blind?”

Girl, please, get it together!

Xu Jianian didn’t seem to find anything wrong with her opinion. “What? He’s tall, handsome, and not bad at basketball.”

Duan Wei was speechless. Clearly, this was going nowhere.

Then inspiration struck. He stood up suddenly, tugging her by the wrist. “Come with me.”

“What now?” Xu Jianian asked, baffled.

He dragged her through the crowded stands, across half the field, until they reached the campus snack shop.

Since it was still class time, the place was empty. The shopkeeper was napping under a blanket and nearly jumped out of his skin when Duan Wei called out.

“Boss, one cup of…” Duan Wei paused. “Uh, do you have anything without cream?”

The man raised an eyebrow. “We mostly sell milk tea. If you don’t want creamer, the only thing left is lemon water.”

“Alright, lemon water then.” Duan Wei pulled out his lunch card and paid.

Xu Jianian, a bit thirsty herself, bought a bottle of water. “What’s this about? You dieting or something?”

Duan Wei didn’t answer. He took the lemon water, thanked the shopkeeper, and marched back toward the court with Xu Jianian in tow.

By now, the game was on break. Fu Duqiu sat under the basketball hoop, forehead glistening with sweat. He tugged at his hoodie’s collar, hair brushing against his brow—his side profile alone could kill.

Several girls hurried over, holding out unopened water bottles, their eyes filled with concern and adoration.

Seeing this, Duan Wei panicked. He shoved the lemon water into Xu Jianian’s hands. “Quick, give this to Fu Duqiu!”

Xu Jianian blinked. This scene felt oddly familiar. After a moment, she remembered—the last time in the cafeteria, Duan Wei had also shoved his meal card into her hands to pass on to Fu Duqiu.

She frowned. “Why should I give him the drink you bought?”

More and more girls were crowding around Fu Duqiu. Duan Wei froze, words tumbling over each other. “I—I need to pee!”

And before she could say another word, he bolted toward the teaching building, leaving her there holding the drinks, bewildered.

Xu Jianian sighed, standing there alone for a moment before slowly heading back toward the court.

The court was buzzing with energy again—every Alpha had girls swarming around them, except one. Peng Yan squatted under the hoop like a dejected golden retriever nobody wanted, looking downright pitiful.

Xu Jianian hesitated, then walked over and handed him her unopened bottle. “Want some water?”

Meanwhile, Duan Wei actually did go to the restroom in the library after all that running.

While washing his hands, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Fu Duqiu’s alternate account:
[Where are you?]

Duan Wei frowned. That was random. Still, figuring Fu Duqiu must be at the basketball court, he replied without much thought:
[At the library. Why? What’s up, senior?]

No reply came for a while, so he assumed Fu Duqiu had messaged the wrong person. He left the restroom and started heading downstairs.

Then his phone vibrated again.

On the screen was a new message:
[I’m at the library entrance.]