ABMSI Chapter 39

The male lead, Fu Duqiu’s family background, actually didn’t take up much space in the original novel. When Duan Wei had read the whole thing, he’d only managed to piece together a few scattered hints here and there.

Fu Duqiu’s parents were childhood sweethearts. His mother, Ye Qiong, had been a top student, while his father, Fu Chengping, was an utterly unremarkable Alpha. The two of them fell in love during a time when such relationships were not permitted, and against all odds, they married and had a child.
But when the shimmering mirage of love faded, what was left was the dull, gray weight of reality.

Not long after Fu Duqiu was born, Fu Chengping’s true nature began to show. He was idle, good-for-nothing, addicted to gambling and alcohol. At first, Ye Qiong endured it, but the pain became unbearable. In the end, she took Fu Duqiu and left, divorcing Fu Chengping.

When Duan Wei saw the message on his phone—[At the school gate.]—he immediately got up and headed for the stairs. Peng Yan called after him and quickly followed.

“Where you going, Duan bro?”

“To check out the commotion at the gate,” Duan Wei said curtly, not wanting to explain.

Sure enough, he hadn’t gone far before the sound of shouting reached his ears. A crowd had gathered at the gate, and some passersby had their phones out, recording.

“Why are you stopping me? I’m here to see my son! My son goes to this school!”

“What’s wrong with asking my son for some money, huh? You’re my son! If I want your life, you should hand it over obediently! Without my sperm, would you even exist?!”

“That bitch Ye Qiong thinks she’s so great now? Found herself a new man and left me to rot, huh?!”

The man shouting in the middle of the crowd was none other than Fu Chengping. His face was flushed from drink, his words slurred and incoherent, every sentence laced with curses.
He was yelling toward the security booth—and when Duan Wei followed his gaze, he saw them: Fu Duqiu and Old Qin.

Fu Duqiu stood there with his hands in his pockets, his face completely expressionless, as though none of it had anything to do with him.

The security guards looked flustered—trying to restrain Fu Chengping, but hesitant to throw him out, since he did seem to be the boy’s biological father.

Just as everyone was at a loss for what to do, Fu Duqiu calmly took out his phone and made a call. The noise immediately died down as his steady voice carried over the crowd:

“Hello, I’m at Shunqing City’s Bitumen Road No. 1 High School. There’s someone here who’s—”

Realizing he was calling the police, Fu Chengping’s face changed instantly. He gave a harsh, mocking laugh and spat a few more filthy words at Fu Duqiu before staggering away, still cursing under his breath.

No one knew exactly how long the scene had lasted. By then, a large crowd of students from No. 1 High had gathered, all exchanging meaningful looks. Finally, Old Qin came to his senses and started shooing everyone away, dispersing the onlookers until only a few people remained.

When Fu Chengping finally disappeared down the road, Duan Wei’s tense expression loosened. At that moment, Fu Duqiu turned around. Their eyes met across the thinning crowd, and then Fu Duqiu walked over.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. His voice was a little hoarse.

“I came to check out the ruckus,” Duan Wei replied, hesitating. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Fu Duqiu’s face was calm as ever. He reached out and smoothed down Duan Wei’s wind-tousled hair, saying, “Come on. Let’s go.”

Duan Wei had been about to say something else, but that casual, unexpected gesture scrambled his thoughts. He could only nod in response.

There was still some time before evening self-study. After dinner, Duan Wei returned to the classroom and picked up his pen to continue his winter camp reflection.

He wrote for a while, but his mind kept drifting. His gaze slid sideways to Fu Duqiu, who looked just as composed as always, as if the entire incident that afternoon had never happened.

But after all this time together, Duan Wei had begun to understand him. Fu Duqiu never showed his emotions—whatever he felt, he buried deep inside.

So Duan Wei thought for a moment, then set his pen down and said, “Old Qin said there’ll be a New Year’s performance soon. You gonna join?”

“You signed up?” Normally, Fu Duqiu never entertained conversation while studying, but this time, he actually paused and looked at him.

“Yeah,” Duan Wei lied smoothly.

Fu Duqiu didn’t question it. “Then sign me up too.”

That surprised Duan Wei even more than Fu Duqiu actually replying during study time. He blinked, then said, “Alright.”

Glancing out at the darkened campus, a sudden idea came to him. “Wanna go for a walk?”

“…” Fu Duqiu hesitated for a second, then looked at him with an unreadable expression. “Okay.”

As soon as they stepped outside the teaching building, the cold wind hit Duan Wei full in the face, instantly sobering him. The snow had eased up over the past few days, leaving piles of half-melted slush on both sides of the road. The trees were wrapped in glowing ribbons of light, and students passing by glanced curiously at the two of them before whispering to each other and walking off in pairs.

Duan Wei tightened his coat and glanced at Fu Duqiu beside him, fidgeting with the hem of his jacket. Searching for something to say, he asked, “You finished your reflection yet?”

“Not yet.” Fu Duqiu’s gaze stayed fixed ahead, his face unreadable under the flickering lights.

“Me neither,” Duan Wei said, forcing a laugh. Normally he could talk for hours, but now that he was trying to start a conversation, the words stuck. “I guess Old Qin’s gonna roast us both later.”

Hearing that, Fu Duqiu chuckled, tilting his head slightly toward him.
“You and I have been tricked before,” he said lightly. “Are you still scared?”

“Of course not,” Duan Wei replied with nonchalance. “I’m just worried about you, Mr. Top Student. What if your spotless reputation gets tarnished?”

Fu Duqiu’s lips curved upward as he walked toward the sports field. A few students passed by, laughing freely at some inside joke, their carefree voices echoing into the cold air.

The field was wide and mostly empty, save for a few couples sneaking around in the shadows. Seeing that, Duan Wei suddenly perked up. He jogged a few steps ahead, turned around, and started walking backward.
“Watch the front for me,” he said.

Fu Duqiu raised an eyebrow. “You’re not afraid I’ll let you fall again?”

That jab hit home—Duan Wei instantly remembered the last time he’d done this, back at the amusement park, when he’d gone down flat on his back. He glared in mock warning.
“You better be careful. If I get mad, you might not live to see tomorrow.”

He paused, then added awkwardly, “But if I fall this time, I won’t hold it against you.”

The words were barely out of his mouth before he regretted them. It was the first time he’d said something that… soft. It was supposed to be comforting, but it made his own skin crawl with embarrassment.

Fu Duqiu, however, froze for a moment. The ice-cold expression he always wore seemed to crack just a little. His mind went blank for half a second before he quietly replied,
“Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall again.”

When Duan Wei didn’t react, Fu Duqiu’s calm tone almost blended with the wind. Duan Wei exhaled, relieved, and continued walking backward. The breeze brushed through his hair and fingers; the night around them seemed to fall silent, leaving only the rhythm of their footsteps.

They’d walked halfway around the track when the faint scent of pheromones drifted through the air—barely noticeable, but lingering. Duan Wei glanced sideways at Fu Duqiu’s composed face and asked,
“Have you ever gone through a susceptibility period?”

“Never,” Fu Duqiu said, meeting his eyes briefly. “For Alphas, susceptibility isn’t as regular as it is for Omegas. It might happen every few years, every few months, or sometimes it’s triggered by intense emotions.”

“I see…” Duan Wei nodded, then stayed quiet.

Fu Duqiu looked at him again. “Why ask?”

“Curiosity,” Duan Wei said after thinking for a moment. “When Xiao Yanzi goes into heat, he doesn’t even recognize his own mother. I just can’t imagine what you’d be like during it.”

Fu Duqiu smiled faintly, his tone unreadable.
“I’ll let you see for yourself someday.”

Duan Wei widened his eyes immediately. “Don’t you dare. Just stay far, far away from me when that happens.”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence—his foot slipped, and he stumbled backward before he could react.
Fu Duqiu lunged forward, grabbing his flailing hands midair, pulling him close—

—but Duan Wei’s momentum was too strong. Fu Duqiu lost his balance, and the two of them crashed down together.

Thud.

They landed tangled on the cold ground, the mingled scent of their pheromones hanging thick between them. Duan Wei’s heart was pounding; he instinctively clutched Fu Duqiu’s shirt.
“Damn it,” he said breathlessly. “It hasn’t even been ten minutes since you swore you wouldn’t let me fall again.”

Fu Duqiu propped himself up on both hands, a small smile tugging at his lips.
“Maybe you should think about whether it’s your problem,” he said smoothly. “Who else manages to fall while walking on a perfectly flat track?”

“You bastard.”

Fu Duqiu was close—too close. Their breaths tangled in the chill air, and for a fleeting second, Duan Wei’s thoughts went haywire. Heat rose uninvited to his cheeks.

Though Fu Duqiu didn’t put any of his weight on him, his proximity alone was enough to make Duan Wei’s pulse stumble. He scrambled awkwardly to his feet, brushing himself off and deciding he’d had enough of walking backward for one night.

He checked the time on his phone and said, “Let’s go. Class is starting soon.”

“Mm.”

On the way back to the academic building, Duan Wei noticed Fu Duqiu’s palm—it was red and scraped, probably from hitting the ground earlier.

Guilt pricked at him. He’d just wanted to cheer the guy up, and instead he’d dragged him down—literally.

While he was silently sighing at himself, Fu Duqiu suddenly said beside him,
“Thank you.”

“Huh?”

“Thank you for comforting me.” His voice was soft, almost tender. “I’m… really happy right now.”