ABMSI Chapter 36

After washing up, Duan Wei watched TV for a while. The more he watched, the sleepier he got, until he eventually just lay down on the sofa and fell asleep.
Perhaps he was simply too exhausted after the marking — he slept deeply, and when he finally woke up the next day, it was already afternoon.

After a quick wash, Duan Wei sat listlessly on the living room sofa. The heavy snow had delayed everything, and today was already the last day of winter camp. Seeing the situation, old Qin gave up on trying to maintain order — he simply let Class 8’s students roam freely as long as they returned to the hotel by the set time.

Peng Yan and his group were enthusiastically discussing plans nearby before finally turning to Duan Wei.
“Duan-ge, wanna go to the amusement park?”

“Whatever,” Duan Wei said weakly.

“Cool,” Peng Yan replied, clicking on a webpage and buying tickets for everyone. After a bit of packing, they all headed out.

The snow that had stopped for a day began to fall again, and in an instant, heaven and earth blended into one vast expanse of pure white. As soon as Duan Wei stepped outside, he was hit by the biting cold. He tightened the scarf around his neck, tilted his head slightly — and saw Fu Duqiu standing beside him.

Whether it was coincidence or something else, the two were dressed almost identically. Aside from one wearing black and the other white, even their scarves were of similar patterns. Walking together like that gave off a strange, indescribable vibe.

A few Omegas nearby noticed and exchanged knowing glances, laughter flickering in their eyes. Duan Wei coughed lightly, too lazy to explain, and just let them gossip behind his back.

From a distance, Peng Yan waved at them to hurry over. Duan Wei quickly jogged forward and took the front passenger seat.

The driver, a local man, had a faint regional accent and was quite chatty. As he drove, he enthusiastically introduced local tourist spots, filling the car with lively conversation.

He glanced at Duan Wei sitting beside him. “You guys are from Shunqing No. 1 High School, right? Senior year?”

Duan Wei nodded.

“So you’re all nearly eighteen, huh? Kids these days are so tall! That young man in the back seat looks like he can barely fit in my car, hahaha!” The driver laughed, glancing at the rearview mirror.

In the back sat Xu Jianian, Peng Yan, and Fu Duqiu. Peng Yan, being an Alpha, was tall — but Fu Duqiu was even taller. Hearing the comment, Fu Duqiu just smiled politely without replying.

The chatter continued, and the driver seemed to grow increasingly fond of Duan Wei. Eventually, he asked curiously, “So, young man, do you have a sweetheart yet?”

In this region, people were pretty open-minded — early relationships weren’t a taboo topic. Duan Wei hesitated, then smiled. “Not yet.”

“Oh, I see,” the driver said cheerfully. “Well, once you graduate, I’ll keep an eye out for you — maybe I can introduce you to a nice Alpha!” He smiled kindly, looking at Duan Wei almost like an affectionate uncle.

“Uh…” Duan Wei wanted to say he wasn’t interested in dating at all, but it felt rude to reject the man’s well-meaning offer, so he just nodded politely.

Suddenly, Fu Duqiu’s voice came from the back seat — cold and abrupt. “When do you plan to start dating?” he asked Xu Jianian beside him.

Everyone, except the driver, froze and turned to look at Fu Duqiu — especially Duan Wei.

What the hell? Did he just… start talking nonsense out of nowhere?

Xu Jianian was taken aback. After a brief, awkward laugh, he said, “Well, I guess whenever I meet someone I like?”

Peng Yan nodded in agreement. “Yeah, of course — you should only date someone you actually like!”

From the passenger seat, Duan Wei could tell something was off with the conversation. Sure enough, Fu Duqiu continued, tone calm and deliberate:
“So, it’s best to just let things happen naturally when it comes to love.”

Duan Wei: “…”
Driver: “…”

Even though he hadn’t named names, anyone with half a brain could tell who Fu Duqiu was referring to.

Peng Yan opened his mouth but said nothing — even his dense, straight-guy instincts picked up on the sudden tension in the air.

He hunched his shoulders and stared awkwardly out the window.

“Would you shut up? Go be single somewhere else,” Duan Wei said, shooting Fu Duqiu a disdainful look. “Don’t go ruining my chances.”

That broke the tension — the driver laughed heartily. “He’s right! You never know, even if you meet someone you like, maybe it won’t work out in the end. I’ve played matchmaker for over a dozen couples around here — trust me, my instincts are never wrong!”

With that, the playful back-and-forth resumed between Duan Wei and the driver.

Peng Yan turned his head slightly — just in time to see Fu Duqiu’s expression stiffen, his eyes darkening for a fleeting second.

Peng Yan let out a long sigh.

Was it too late to jump out of the car now?

“Alright, uncle. If I can’t find a girlfriend in the future, I’ll come to you,” Duan Wei said with a smile. Normally, he carried that keep your distance aura that made people think twice before approaching him—but when he smiled, that aura cracked open just enough to show how handsome he really was.

His smile made him look far more approachable—almost cute.

To prevent another verbal battlefield from erupting, Peng Yan quickly seized the chance to change the subject. The driver, unaware of the brewing chaos, kept chatting cheerfully about the scenic spots along the way.

After about ten minutes, they finally arrived at the amusement park. Before getting out, the driver insisted on taking down Duan Wei’s phone number, which made the two of them stay in the car longer than the rest.

When Duan Wei finally stepped out, Peng Yan threw a quick glance at Fu Duqiu before asking, “Bro Duan, did you seriously give him your number?”

“Yeah,” Duan Wei replied carelessly. “Except—it was your number.”

Peng Yan: “???”

“No need to thank me.” Duan Wei clapped him on the shoulder with an easy grin. “For the sake of your lifelong happiness, I’m willing to do anything.”

As soon as he finished, Fu Duqiu, standing beside them, smiled faintly. It lasted only a second, but both of them caught it.

Duan Wei frowned. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing.” Fu Duqiu gave him a thoughtful look. “I just think you did the right thing.”

“Oh, come on. You just don’t want anyone getting close to me. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.” Duan Wei slung an arm around Peng Yan’s shoulder, pretending not to care. “Anyway, it’s not like I’m thinking about that kind of thing right now. Forget it.”

After all, he didn’t belong to this world. Sooner or later, he’d have to go back. It was only a matter of time. Falling in love, settling down here—that would just tangle things up even more.

By now, evening had arrived. Winter nights always fell faster than any other season; half the sky was already dark. The moment they stepped through the gate, they were greeted by a blaze of gold decorations. The trees and rides glittered with colorful halos of light.

New Year’s Day was just around the corner. At the entrance, a giant “happy new year” sign glowed brightly, and even the loudspeakers were blaring cheerful holiday songs.

Hearing all that, Xu Jianian turned to Duan Wei. “Xiao Wei, you just haven’t met someone you like yet, have you?”

“Probably,” Duan Wei said after a brief pause, hesitating a little.

He’d never really thought about what kind of person he liked. Back in school, plenty of classmates had early romances, and a few girls had even confessed to him. But he’d never felt much interest. He’d turned them down before anything could start.

Once he entered university, such things became even more distant. His social circle shrank smaller and smaller, and love became something easy to ignore. Xu Jianian’s question hit closer to home than he expected.

What kind of person did he like…?

While he was lost in thought, Fu Duqiu’s gaze drifted toward him. Seeing that, Peng Yan immediately darted between the two, holding up a map as a distraction. “Hey, come check this out—where should we go first?”

At that, Duan Wei looked at the map, roughly memorizing the layout of the rides, and tossed away his earlier thoughts. “If we’re playing, we’re going for the most thrilling. Let’s hit the roller coaster and the giant pendulum!”

“Bro Duan, you’ll get wind-blasted into a facial paralysis case,” Peng Yan warned kindly, pointing to the merry-go-round nearby. “Let’s play that instead?”

“Dude, you’re an Alpha, aren’t you? If I’m not scared, what’s your excuse?” Duan Wei shot back, unimpressed.

“Whoa, no, no—don’t call me bro, I can’t handle that. I’m just a little brother,” Peng Yan said quickly, glancing shyly at Xu Jianian. His voice softened as he leaned closer to her. “Which one do you want to play?”

Duan Wei frowned slightly, watching the two of them. Something about it felt… off. He turned to Fu Duqiu and, half-joking, said, “Wanna ride the roller coaster with me? You’re already expressionless anyway—might as well let the wind hit you a bit.”

He expected Fu Duqiu to brush it off as a joke or reply with that usual calm sarcasm.

But instead, Fu Duqiu nodded, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. “Sure.”

“…”

Peng Yan, who’d been half listening while pretending to study the map, suddenly lifted his head. “Then I’ll go too!”

“Aren’t you scared?” Xu Jianian asked. She didn’t mind either way—she’d been to plenty of amusement parks with Duan Wei since childhood and had already conquered every thrilling ride there was.

“I’m an Alpha,” Peng Yan said, feigning nonchalance. “What’s there to be scared of?”

Actually, he didn’t even know why—maybe it was just an Alpha’s instinct.
When he’d first noticed Fu Duqiu’s subtle attitude toward Duan Wei, he hadn’t taken it seriously.
But after spending some time together, Peng Yan couldn’t deny it anymore: Fu Duqiu treated Duan Wei differently—so very differently.

And Duan Wei, that oblivious blockhead, clearly hadn’t noticed a thing—nor did he have any intentions in that direction.
So Peng Yan had no choice but to keep his eyes open on his friend’s behalf.
Truly, he was living like a grandson but worrying like a grandfather.

With Peng Yan tagging along, Duan Wei couldn’t be happier.
“Let’s go?” he said brightly.

“Go!”

Duan Wei was in a fantastic mood—skipping here, hopping there—and soon enough, he was walking backward, facing his friends.
“You guys keep an eye out for me, okay?”

Peng Yan and Xu Jianian were deep in discussion about whether to visit the haunted house or try the escape room next, so only Fu Duqiu was paying attention to Duan Wei.
As he watched the younger man stroll backward with a wide grin full of excitement, Fu Duqiu couldn’t help but smile faintly himself.

The person before him was simple—pure, even.
So good that you couldn’t help wanting to get closer, yet so bright that touching him felt almost sacrilegious.
It was… a very confusing feeling.

Of course, Duan Wei had no clue.
He continued walking backward with blind trust, his scarf fluttering in the cold evening wind, sliding down just enough to expose a stretch of pale neck.
Fu Duqiu froze.

He remembered everything that had happened yesterday—down in that pit—and his throat moved involuntarily.
Before he could gather his thoughts, he heard a muffled thud.

Because he’d been walking backward, Duan Wei hadn’t noticed the stone bench behind him—and Fu Duqiu, still dazed, hadn’t warned him.
So the poor guy tripped perfectly and went sprawling.

The other two immediately turned around at the sound.
“Ah! What happened?” Xu Jianian exclaimed, rushing forward to help him up.

Duan Wei blinked, still dazed, and then turned accusingly toward Fu Duqiu.
“Why didn’t you tell me there was something there?”

“…”

There was no way Fu Duqiu could admit he’d been distracted by Duan Wei’s neck, so he murmured instead, “I didn’t see. You were walking too fast.”

Peng Yan came over, rolling his eyes.
“Duan-ge, you tripped yourself and now you’re blaming him?”

“What did you just say?!” Duan Wei glared at him with such menace that Peng Yan immediately shut up.

Fu Duqiu was quietly relieved that the incident passed without further questioning.
But as Duan Wei turned around, his scarf slipped again, revealing the place on his neck that had been marked just the day before.
A faint scent of honeyed orange drifted into the air.

At that moment, the two people ahead of them stopped walking.
“We’re here!” Peng Yan said, pointing at the enormous roller coaster in front of them.

Fu Duqiu looked up—the structure wasn’t the biggest he’d seen, but it twisted and looped impressively.
Duan Wei’s eyes lit up instantly, and he bounded forward to talk to the staff.

While he did, Peng Yan eyed the returning riders, all flushed and exhilarated, and asked nervously,
“Uh, miss, which seat is the least scary?”

“The ground,” Duan Wei deadpanned, climbing straight into the first row without a hint of hesitation.

Peng Yan stared like he was watching a war hero.
“Respect… I’ll take the last row. You two sitting where?”

Neither of the other men answered.
Fu Duqiu calmly stored his belongings in the locker, then silently sat down beside Duan Wei, expression as calm as ever.

Seeing that, Duan Wei’s eyes gleamed in approval.
He pointed at Fu Duqiu and said to Peng Yan, “See that, Xiao Yanzi? That’s a real man.”

Peng Yan rolled his eyes so hard they nearly fell out, muttering as he slunk to the last row, Xu Jianian following him.

Soon, the seats filled up—mostly couples or friends.
Behind Duan Wei sat two girls who started whispering the moment they sat down.
It didn’t take long for him to realize they were talking about Fu Duqiu.

Fu Duqiu, as usual, sat perfectly still, his face calm and expressionless—icy elegance under the glow of night lights.
The girls behind them tried to stifle their giggles, growing increasingly giddy.

Duan Wei sighed.
He was handsome too, damn it—why didn’t anyone ever look at him like that?

Then the ride began to move.
He gripped the bar, excitement surging.

In the next instant, the roller coaster shot forward—and Peng Yan’s scream tore through the night like a dying animal.
“AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH—HELP—!!!”

“Holy sh*t,” Duan Wei muttered, startled by the sheer volume of it.
He glanced at Fu Duqiu, who, to his amazement, remained completely calm.

There were only two kinds of roller coaster riders, in Duan Wei’s experience:
The thrill junkies—like him—and the screamers—like Peng Yan.

Fu Duqiu was… neither.
And because he always hid his emotions so well, Duan Wei naturally assumed he was scared.
So after a brief hesitation, he reached over, grabbing Fu Duqiu’s wrist.

“Don’t be afraid!” he shouted.

His words were snatched away by the wind, but Fu Duqiu still heard them—every syllable.
He turned slightly. Duan Wei’s hair was a windswept mess, yet somehow he still looked beautiful—too beautiful.
Those clear eyes, brimming with concern, made whatever Fu Duqiu had meant to say die in his throat.

He simply looked forward and murmured, “It’s really high.”

“Then close your eyes!” Duan Wei yelled back.
“Just don’t look down, or your neck will hurt!”

Fu Duqiu pretended to obey—but he didn’t close his eyes.
He just watched Duan Wei through his peripheral vision.

And Duan Wei, reassured, threw himself fully into the ride, screaming with wild joy.
Not like Peng Yan’s terrified wails—but free, exuberant, blazing.
Like a torch setting the cold winter air alight.

By the time the ride ended, Fu Duqiu was silent—but not because he disliked it.
He just… didn’t think it was loud anymore.
The chaos, the noise—it all felt strangely pleasant.

The roller coaster slowed.
Duan Wei pouted; it had ended too soon.
Behind them, Peng Yan stumbled out and promptly vomited into a trash can, with Xu Jianian patting his back worriedly.

Watching this sorry scene, Duan Wei suddenly remembered something.
“Oh! That’s why it felt off!”

“What?” Peng Yan gasped weakly.

“The last row on a roller coaster,” Duan Wei said solemnly, “is actually the scariest one.”

“…” Peng Yan looked dead inside.
“Why didn’t you say that earlier!?”

Duan Wei just grinned.
“I forgot—and besides, Xu Jianian’s fine, right? So it’s not the seat. It’s you.”

At that, Peng Yan instantly straightened, stung by pride, and Duan Wei burst out laughing.

By the time Peng Yan recovered, it was getting late.
They decided their last stop would be an escape room.

Duan Wei didn’t really care for escape games or murder mysteries—too long, too brain-heavy.
He’d rather ride four or five roller coasters.
But since Peng Yan insisted (and clearly couldn’t handle another ride), Duan Wei relented.

After buying tickets, he and Fu Duqiu stopped by a snack stand.
His throat was raw from all the yelling, so he ordered drinks.

“One lemon water, three regular milk teas,” he said automatically—then added without thinking, “and no creamer in his.”

Fu Duqiu’s eyes flickered briefly, then he looked away.

While waiting, more people came in, so they stepped outside.
That’s when Duan Wei spotted two familiar girls—the same ones from the roller coaster.

Sure enough, one of them approached, glancing shyly at Fu Duqiu before turning to Duan Wei.
“Hi! We’re about to do the escape room, but we’re short four people. Would you two like to join us?”

Duan Wei blinked. He hadn’t expected her to talk to him instead of Fu Duqiu.
“Oh, uh—I don’t mind, but I’ve got a couple of friends with me. You should ask them too.”

“Okay, sure! Thanks!” she said quickly, shooting a look at her blushing friend.

Meanwhile, Fu Duqiu’s expression had turned noticeably darker.

Their drinks came just then.
Duan Wei carried them over to where Peng Yan and Xu Jianian were sitting and explained the girls’ offer.

“Sounds good to me!” Peng Yan said immediately. “The more the merrier—welcome, welcome!”

The two girls flushed pink, smiling at Duan Wei and Fu Duqiu.

Fu Duqiu’s face, however, went cold as stone.
He looked straight at Peng Yan.

And Peng Yan froze.
Did I… say something wrong again?

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