Chapter 4

When Asher woke up in the morning and saw the cold, empty kitchen and dining room, he froze.

Where’s my food?

Ping. His phone buzzed with a WeChat message.

Victoria: [The housekeeper's son is sick, so she’s taking a week off. Just head across the street and grab something to eat at the neighbors'.]

Victoria: [By the way, check out this candlelight dinner your dad made with his own two hands.]

Victoria: [Steak.jpg]

I’m probably an accident.

Asher felt the world was being far too cruel to him.

He didn't have the face to barge into someone else's house for food and drink so early in the morning. He could only ruffle his hair irritably, and with a face full of morning gloom, he grabbed an umbrella and walked out. A black Bentley was already waiting at the gate.

At least they left him Uncle Joe.

Asher let out a sigh of relief as if surviving a disaster, but when he opened the car door, that breath caught in his throat.

Why was Sebastian in his family's car? And sitting in the back seat? And holding a lunch box in his hand?

The consequence of waking up early was a foggy brain. While questioning it, Asher sat down next to Sebastian and closed the door.

It wasn't until the car started moving that he asked blankly, "You just transferred and you're already skipping morning self-study?"

Because Asher truly couldn't manage to wake up at 6:00 AM, the school had granted him a special exemption under the dual guarantee of his mother and his Rank 1 status. He only had to arrive before the first class at 8:00 AM.

But what gave Sebastian the right? Could he even rank first in the grade?

He couldn't.

Sebastian looked down and opened the lunch box, his face calm. "Grandpa said my health isn't great, so I should sleep in a bit."

Asher really couldn't see anything wrong with his health. The school leaders must have turned a blind eye against their consciences just because they saw the name "Sebastian."

"I am deeply pained by Grandpa Sebastian’s act of spoiling his grandson like this."

"Likewise." Sebastian handed over the lunch box.

A bowl of wontons.

Asher took the bowl, being very polite: "Thank you, Grandpa Sebastian."

"No need to call me Grandpa."

"..."

Asher felt he shouldn't have omitted the words "tell him."

"Big Brother is fine, though."

"Heh, you still owe me a 'Dad'."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow but didn't offer a rebuttal.

Asher had noticed that whenever this guy wasn't wearing his glasses, his look became particularly punchable. Furthermore, he had discovered that those glasses had no prescription at all; he had no idea what kind of "act cool" stunt the guy was pulling.

However, since he was currently eating the other's food, he decided not to argue for the moment.

But after stirring the bowl twice with a spoon, he couldn't bring himself to take a bite.

Sebastian glanced over, took the bowl back, and stuffed a box of crackers into his hand. "Eat this first."

Then he picked up a pair of chopsticks and began picking out the cilantro.

When the housekeeper was cooking, he didn't know Asher’s house was empty, so he hadn't had a chance to remind her. Fortunately, only a few sprigs were used for garnish and they weren't chopped finely, so they were quickly removed.

When the clean wontons were returned to Asher’s hands, he swallowed the cracker in his mouth and took a sharp breath. "Whoa, Boss Seb is impressive! You actually restored this bowl of wontons to its purity!"

So, wontons paired with cilantro were impure?

Sebastian felt this guy had a strange way of speaking.

But the title "Boss Seb" was acceptable.

After eating and drinking his fill, Asher remembered to repay the kindness. He poked Sebastian’s arm. "I didn't get a chance to check that last comprehensive physics problem for you after you finished it last night. Want to take it out now? Your 'Big Brother Ash' can explain it to you."

"No need, we're at school."

"You said it yourself, don't regret it later. If you mess up the placement exam, don't blame me."

"I won't. My grades are decent enough."

"..."

Decent enough? The top scorer of Northmont City?

This guy’s ability to act cool was practically on par with his own.

Muttering under his breath, Asher opened the car door and got out, not forgetting to hold the umbrella and wait for Sebastian for a moment.

The rain was no lighter than yesterday, but once they reached the classroom, Sebastian’s light chestnut hair remained neatly against his forehead, not ruffled in the slightest like it had been the day before.

Because it was only a placement exam and the students at Southaven Prep were generally self-disciplined, the testing halls weren't rearranged. Everyone sat in their own seats.

Literature in the morning, Math and English in the afternoon, and Comprehensive Science during evening self-study.

Everything would be completed in one day, leaving the students not a single hair of sanity.

Based on the principle of giving these seniors a wake-up call to spur them into hard work, the questions for this placement exam were harder than climbing to heaven. Lamentations echoed throughout the first and second floors of the North Building.

Southaven Prep sorted classes by grades—Class 1 through Class 5 in descending order—so logically, the atmosphere in Class 1 should have been the most relaxed.

It was indeed relatively relaxed as they felt this level of difficulty was manageable, but their class happened to have two Great Demons.

Asher was a natural-born talent—quick-witted, possessing a great memory and fast reflexes. Sometimes he solved problems based on pure intuition, so his speed was always miles ahead. Turning in his paper half an hour early was routine, and Class 1 was used to it.

However, Sebastian was sitting right next to him.

Sebastian’s style of taking an exam was different from Asher's. He looked very serious and meticulous, taking his time—but that was only an appearance. While Asher was still answering the emotional analysis of the final reading comprehension, Sebastian had already flipped the page to start his essay.

This was more than he could bear.

Asher stopped twirling his pen and drawing little doodles. He immediately sharpened his focus and began to accelerate. In the end, he managed to turn in his paper within the same minute as Sebastian.

By the time the afternoon English and Math exams rolled around, this bloodless war intensified.

English: paper turned in after one hour and ten minutes.

Math: paper turned in after one hour and twenty minutes.

Every time they heard the "thud, thud" of two pens hitting the desks in the back corner of the classroom, they would see two strikingly handsome figures lazily saunter up to the podium, hand in their papers, and then lazily saunter back.

One would start sleeping, the other would start reading a book.

Their leisurely manner made the "cream of the crop" in Class 1 sink into self-doubt.

Why can they finish the papers so fast?

Am I stupid?

Should I even be in Class 1?

Am I even worthy of sitting here?

I feel a bit socially withdrawn.

:)

There was a one-hour break between the Math exam and evening self-study.

Since the term hadn't officially started, only two windows were open in the school cafeteria. Asher had picky tastes and no appetite for that food. Since it was raining outside and he was too lazy to go out, he decided not to eat and stayed in the classroom working through a science workbook.

He had been slightly slower than Sebastian in all three morning exams. Although the final time difference was kept within a minute, he knew in his heart it was because his handwriting had practically flown off the page.

Meanwhile, he had seen Sebastian’s papers—clean, tidy, and elegant.

That was a bit irritating.

So he planned to practice beforehand to find his rhythm, intending to teach a certain "Cool King" named Sebastian a lesson tonight.

And said "Cool King" clearly didn't care about his thoughts. He had borrowed Asher's umbrella and disappeared to who-knows-where. Asher was the only one left in the classroom, which was perfect for some peace and quiet.

However, there is no such thing as peace and quiet for teenagers. In the time it took to wait in the cafeteria line, news had spread that the handsome new Alpha in Class 1 was a Great Demon just like Asher.

The news was a mix of the blood, sweat, and tears of the students in Class 1 and the innocent, naive admiration of students from other classes.

People are less likely to be jealous of those with whom the gap is too vast. In Classes 4 and 5, few could even finish the papers. For someone who turned in their paper in nearly half the allotted time, they felt no pressure, only admiration.

Thus, compared to exam scores, they were more concerned with whether the handsome newcomer was truly a "Great Handsome Guy."

On this topic, the students of Class 1 had a lot to say. Especially Caleb, who sat in front of the two Great Demons; his hands were practically waving in his armpits with excitement: "He's definitely handsome. You all know our Ash, right?"

The crowd nodded like chickens pecking at grain, and a few "little hens" blushed slightly just at the mention of the name "Ash."

Caleb was satisfied with this reaction. "The new transfer isn't even a tiny bit inferior to our Ash. Plus, he's a fully presented Alpha and looks even a tiny bit taller than Ash. Think about it—is he a top-tier handsome guy or what?"

The sense of pride in his tone made it sound like he was praising his own father.

Caleb was on good terms with Asher, so if he said it, it was ten-to-one it was true.

The crowd began to gossip in low voices.

Suddenly, a voice piped up: "Heh, you guys all came straight through from Southaven's middle school, so you don't even know who Sebastian is while you're gossiping here. Let me tell you, back at Northmont High, Sebastian was a legend—the school boss and the school heartthrob in one. Plus, he was Rank 1 every single time. If he hadn't transferred to Northmont City later, it's anyone's guess if Asher would have been the top scorer for the high school entrance exam."

"..."

"Isn't that our Ash's script?"

"Then hasn't our Ash met his match?"

"Exciting!"

"A battle at the top of the Forbidden City!"

"Come on, come on, place your bets! Who’s taking Rank 1 in science for this placement exam?"

"Definitely my Ash. Three packs of spicy strips."

"As someone from Northmont High, I believe in Boss Seb's legend. Six packs!"

"Me too, me too! Ash, five packs!"

...

"I bet on Asher. If he's not Rank 1, I’ll buy milk tea for everyone in his class."

The voice was small and thin, sounding a bit timid among the loud voices, yet it was the most extravagant bet so far.

Everyone turned to look at this big spender, only to see a little girl with a round face and round eyes.

Caleb raised an eyebrow. "Lulu, don't be impulsive. I'm telling you, based on my first-hand intel, Boss Seb seems to be leading Ash by a very slim margin."

"I... I'm not being impulsive. I just believe in Asher."

The girl’s face turned red after saying this, and she quickly grabbed two random dishes and ran to a corner.

Everyone was used to this kind of widespread adoration for Asher.

Only a tall boy who had just come out of the teachers' cafeteria with a lunch box cast an inadvertent glance toward the corner. Then, holding a black umbrella, he slowly stepped into the curtain of rain.

When Sebastian returned to the classroom, Asher was talking to an Omega.

He was rocking his chair lazily, a pouch of yogurt hanging from his mouth. A sandwich and a rice ball were placed in front of him. The Omega sat in Caleb's seat, helping him tear off the plastic packaging.

The Omega whispered something—Sebastian couldn't hear it clearly—but he saw Asher’s lips suddenly curve upward and his eyebrows lift. His dark eyes revealed a brilliant smile, clear and bright, reaching the depths of his gaze as if he had recalled a radiant memory from the back of his mind.

One had to admit, Asher had been a beautiful child with red lips and white teeth since he was little—a beauty that was bright, loud, unrestrained, and aggressive.

Sebastian walked to his seat and stuffed the lunch box into his desk. The movement was natural and swift, as if nothing had happened.

Only after he sat down did he see the Omega's face clearly. It was the one who had vowed to stay chaste for Asher yesterday.

Milo, he thought the name was.

He was slender, fair-skinned, and delicate—looking like someone with a good temper, quite suitable for a young master type like Asher.

Sebastian only spared a glance and said nothing, taking out a new physics workbook to begin practicing.

The pen scratched across the paper, his knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure.

From the moment Sebastian entered, Milo had shivered due to the sudden drop in temperature. While he quickly tore off the packaging, he stole a few looks.

He was truly handsome—those eyes, that nose, those lips, that alluring little mole, those charming hands.

But he was too cold. His aura was cold, his scent was cold, and his gaze was cold.

It wasn't the "cool, edgy, ice-prince" kind of cold, but a sense of detachment.

A high-and-mighty, nonchalant detachment.

Recalling what Elliot had told him about this "Big Boss's" past when he was fourteen, Milo felt even more intimidated. He pushed the peeled sandwich and rice ball in front of Asher. "Ash, take your time. I’m going back to memorize history."

With that, he bolted.

Asher took the yogurt pouch out of his mouth and lazily glanced at Sebastian. "Look at you, how scary. You’ve terrified the kid."

Sebastian glanced at him. "Are you afraid?"

Asher raised an eyebrow cockily. "Me, afraid of you? What a joke. Little kid, you’re too naive. You forget who your 'Big Brother Ash' is."

Sebastian usually ignored that yapping little mouth of his, but today, for some reason, he felt a spark of interest. He put down his pen, turned around, rested his left hand on the back of Asher’s chair, leaned in a bit, and gave him a smile.

"Little kid, believe me. You will be."

His eyes were long and narrow, his iris color light; such a smile had the air of a male fox spirit. With the mole accentuating it, he looked devastatingly alluring.

Asher was stunned by the smile. In a momentary lapse of concentration, he lost his balance. The tilted chair fell straight backward. Seeing that Asher was about to fall, Sebastian’s hand on the back of the chair quickly reached forward and scooped him up.

Originally, it was just a reflex to help him stabilize, but somehow, the end result was Asher being cradled in Sebastian’s arms in a rather delicate posture.

...

The chair hit the floor with a "clang."

The classroom door was pushed open.

Caleb’s water bottle dropped to the floor.

The classroom door was closed.

...