AHDIBCB Chapter 24

In order to avoid exposing his identity, ever since the Nine-Colored Star Bridge incident, Li Heng had never contacted his family again. This included the family’s robots.

Nine months—neither too long nor too short—a lot could happen during this period. Although the old master was there, ensuring that nothing major would go wrong, the possibility of the family’s robots being temporarily controlled could not be ruled out. To be on the safe side, naturally, not making contact was the best strategy.

So Li Heng never even considered his robot bookboy. He simply thought that Yuan Yi might have met some new friends.

A beautiful, quiet omega who, on the surface, seemed to have lost his husband—it wasn’t surprising that someone would like him. At the very least, Li Heng believed Yuan Yi was worthy of being pursued by many people, though he didn’t particularly like this fact.

He decided to conduct an investigation.

Bai Wanzhe was absolutely impossible. Given Yuan Yi’s temperament, he would never go back to an ex. Besides, Bai Wanzhe never had the personality of a little wolfdog. Li Heng wondered if it might be someone from the medical school.

That day, one of the medical students who received zongzi from Yuan Yi had looked at him with admiration and affection. Also, back at the library, there were actually many people secretly watching Yuan Yi. Some might have been purely driven by curiosity, but Li Heng knew that many were secretly admiring him.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t just cover these people’s eyes to stop them from looking, nor could he reveal his identity. But he had to do something to feel at ease.

After much persuasion, Yuan Yi finally agreed to come to the school in person to pick up the notebook, but the meeting was set for the next day.

This time, Yuan Yi didn’t bring braised beef. First, because it was troublesome to make; second, because he had been eating it frequently and it no longer felt special. However, he still remembered that he owed Li Heng a favor, so he made marinated beef.

This was a cold dish. The beef was boiled with some spices to remove any fishy smell, then cooled, sliced thinly, and mixed with his own special garlic chili sauce, along with diamond-shaped perilla leaves. It was very refreshing.

Perilla had high nutritional value. Although it was a vegetable, it had relatively high protein and also helped to dispel cold and relieve exterior symptoms. In summer, people often stayed in air-conditioned rooms, accumulating some internal cold. Eating perilla occasionally to dispel this cold was beneficial.

Yuan Yi made a large portion because when preparing this dish in bulk, the most time-consuming step was slicing the beef. However, the smart chef could finish this task in just a minute, and since the beef had a firm texture, it wouldn’t get damaged during slicing.

The mixing process was the same. He put all the ingredients in and let the smart chef stir them. After a few spins in the food processor, the beef was evenly coated with sauce.

As for the perilla leaves, there was no rush with those.

Yuan Yi packed the washed and sliced perilla leaves separately, grabbed some kitchen gloves, and then divided the marinated beef into two airtight containers. He went to school before lunch, as usual, bringing a portion for Ji Lan and the other for the medical school.

It seemed no different from before—except this time, Pan Yuechen wasn’t there, but Li Heng and Yue Zhen were.

Strangely, many other students, including senior classmates, were also present.

At a glance, Yue Zhen noticed it was beef again and laughed, “Why do I feel like ever since Junior Yuan joined the medical school, our meals have occasionally improved by leaps and bounds?”

Chang Qingbai said, “Senior Yue, be more confident. Just remove the word ‘feel.’ It has improved! That zongzi last time was unbelievably good. There’s really no comparison between machine-made frozen ones and purely handmade ones.”

Their school’s food was excellent, but since it was made by smart chefs, pure beef dishes like this were nearly impossible to get—too expensive and too much trouble. Most importantly, none of it tasted as good as Yuan Yi’s cooking.

As soon as Yuan Yi opened the airtight container, a sweet and tangy aroma filled the air. The thinly sliced beef was coated in a glossy sauce, making everyone’s mouths water just from looking at it.

But Yuan Yi stopped them from digging in right away. He first picked out some beef for those who didn’t eat perilla, then added the perilla leaves to the remaining portion and mixed them in with his hands. “This way, it’s more nutritious.”

Li Heng said, “This looks way too appetizing.”

Yuan Yi replied, “As long as you all like it. Otherwise, how am I supposed to bribe my seniors and classmates? I’m still counting on this skill to infiltrate the medical school.”

An alpha senior laughed, “Don’t worry. On behalf of the medical school, I officially declare that you’ve already succeeded. But isn’t this too exhausting for you?”

Yuan Yi said, “It’s fine. I’m a commuter student, so it’s more convenient to cook at home. But it’s just for a month or two—after that, I probably won’t be able to do it anymore.”

Someone, already chewing, seemed to have lost their intelligence to their stomach and asked blankly, “Huh? Why?”

Chang Qingbai said, “Are you dumb? He has a kid now! As the months go by, he’ll get more tired. Shouldn’t you be cherishing this opportunity while you can?!”

That person smacked their forehead. “Oh, right! Sorry, sorry.”

As soon as he said that, the whole table went silent for a moment, exchanging glances—then they all started eating like crazy.

Li Heng watched as these people used their chopsticks so fast that they were practically leaving afterimages. While grabbing a large portion for himself, he asked, “Seriously, who’s the one notifying all of you? Why is it that every time Yuan Yi brings food, you all show up so enthusiastically?”

If he wasn’t mistaken, this meal was clearly meant for him, Yue Zhen, and Pan Yuechen.

Chang Qingbai said, “Senior Yanwu, I saw Yuan Yi carrying a food container. Every time he brings one, there’s definitely something delicious inside.”

The alpha senior said, “I heard about it from Yue Zhen.”

The others chimed in, “We just heard Yuan Yi was here and came to try our luck.”

Li Heng was speechless. He looked at Yuan Yi and said, “Junior, next time, make sure your attacks are more precise. Don’t let the brilliance of your beef shine across every land—other than my land, no other place needs such high energy.”

Yue Zhen asked, “Senior Yanwu has three big lectures today?”

Li Heng: “What else? I’m the one attending the lectures, I’m the one tutoring Yuan Yi, and you bastards still keep freeloading off my tuition fee!”

The students taking Li Heng’s class immediately tried to ingratiate themselves. “Senior Yanwu, please eat first!”

Everyone quickly put down their chopsticks.

Li Heng filled his bowl to the brim, finally feeling a bit more balanced in his heart. Then he asked Yuan Yi, “How’s your exam prep going?”

Yuan Yi said, “I studied as much as I could. Let’s see how my luck holds up.”

Li Heng pushed his bowl of beef forward. “I’m only eating the meat. The greens are yours.”

Yuan Yi: “…?”

Li Heng: “What are you spacing out for? Perilla regulates qi and stabilizes pregnancy. If you don’t eat more, who will? And the rest of you should eat more too—this stuff dispels wind and cold. You all stay in air-conditioned rooms all day and barely move, so take this chance to warm up.”

Chang Qingbai gasped, “Senior Yanwu, you even know traditional medicine?!”

The alpha senior teased, “You’re not just trying to trick us into eating more veggies so you can have more meat, are you?”

Li Heng: “Do I even need to trick you? If any of you dare take another bite of meat, you’re all failing your finals.”

Everyone: “……”

That threat was brutal. The next time they reached for food, they hesitated noticeably, making an effort to grab more leafy greens instead.

Yuan Yi found it amusing but didn’t comment.

The meal was lively enough, and he also got his notebook back.

However, on his way back, a small incident occurred.

He ran into Zhou Xingran, whom he hadn’t seen for days.

Ever since that failed dinner with the Bai family, Zhou Xingran had been locked up and was only released the day before yesterday. But when he returned to campus, he found that Yuan Yi wasn’t coming to school anymore.

Just as he was worrying about how to see Yuan Yi, Yuan Yi showed up.

He noticed that Yuan Yi seemed to be doing quite well. Though he looked a bit tired, it was most likely due to taking care of his child. The students at the medical school clearly adored him.

In contrast, Zhou Xingran might appear glamorous, but people treated him like a rat crossing the street—everyone avoided him.

At first, there were still some people on the forums speaking up for him, but as time passed, the criticism became overwhelmingly one-sided. Now, even the professors and classmates in his department didn’t think much of him.

Though some still smiled at him on the surface due to his father’s status, behind his back, they gossiped just the same.

And all of this was thanks to the cousin standing in front of him!

“Ruining someone else’s happiness, yet you’re living quite comfortably yourself, huh, Yuan Yi?” Zhou Xingran sized Yuan Yi up from head to toe. “What, the kid isn’t even born yet, and you’re already looking for your next partner? Bringing food, getting people to tutor you—I never realized you were this scheming before.”

“No matter how lacking in scheming I am, being around someone like you, I had to learn a thing or two, didn’t I? I should really thank you for teaching me so well, dear cousin.”

“You! Don’t get cocky! You really think you can be with Senior Yanwu? I’d advise you not to even dream about it! Just to avoid gossip, he’d never want you. And don’t forget—you’re carrying Li Heng’s child. What Alpha wouldn’t mind that? The only reason these people are around you now is that you’re not visibly pregnant yet. They’re just after your looks. Free food, free eye candy—if it were me, I’d enjoy it too! And let’s not forget, being your friend gives them a chance to meet Senior Yanwu and Senior Yue. Why wouldn’t they take advantage of that? They’re just using you!”

“Oh? If you put it that way, I seem to be quite popular. I wouldn’t have noticed if you hadn’t pointed it out. Looks like I should keep it up. Even though I’m already married and have no plans to remarry, it’s still nice that my classmates and seniors have a good impression of me, isn’t it? Much better than being all alone, avoided like the plague. Don’t you think so, cousin?”

“Yuan! Yi! You bastard, I’m going to teach you a lesson today!”

The resentment Zhou Xingran had been holding in for days exploded in an instant. What small patience leads to big plans, what slow and steady wins the race—all nonsense! The only way to vent his anger and humiliation was to hit back even harder!

Zhou Xingran grabbed Yuan Yi, and the two began to struggle.

At this time, the parking lot wasn’t crowded, but a few people were passing by. Hearing the commotion, they all turned to look.

Meanwhile, someone who had been following from a distance suddenly rushed forward, shouting as they ran, “Young Master, don’t be impulsive! If you cause trouble again, you’ll just get locked up!”

This person had been following Zhou Xingran under Fang Jing’s orders, keeping an eye on him. But in a moment of carelessness, the young master had actually cornered someone! How could this be allowed?!

He rushed over to pull Zhou Xingran away, but Zhou Xingran clung to Yuan Yi tightly. He didn’t dare hit Yuan Yi’s stomach, but he was determined to slap him today! That little bastard needed to learn that he wasn’t someone to be messed with!

But Yuan Yi wasn’t one to be pushed around either. His body wasn’t in the best shape right now, but he was never the type to just sit there and take a beating. If Zhou Xingran dared to hit him, he would hit back!

As soon as Zhou Xingran grabbed him, Yuan Yi pinned down Zhou Xingran’s hand and threw a punch. Compared to before, he wasn’t as strong, but so what? He was weak, but Zhou Xingran was just an Omega too. A fight between two weaklings—who wouldn’t know how to handle that?

Yuan Yi straddled Zhou Xingran and landed two solid slaps, leaving Zhou Xingran completely dazed.

Zhou Xingran had been pampered since childhood—when had he ever suffered like this? The pain made him wail loudly, drawing a crowd of onlookers. The person who had come with Zhou Xingran was sweating bullets but didn’t dare lay a hand on Yuan Yi.

Just then, two figures leaped down from a hovering aircraft. They were dressed in military uniforms. One of them spat out a blade of grass with a ptooey, looking extremely annoyed at his now-dirty clothes, his face full of shock.

Yuan Yi was also a bit surprised to see the two of them. He patted his pants and asked, “Who are you?”

A soldier said, “Greetings, Madam Commander! We are from the Sirius Fleet, ordered to protect you.”

Yuan Yi, hearing the continuous “wuu wuu wuu” sounds nearby, frowned and said to the person holding onto Zhou Xingran, “Can you take him aside to cry?”

That person was so scared that he quickly took Zhou Xingran away. Zhou Xingran started making a fuss, “I’m not leaving! I want to call the police!”

Yuan Yi said, “Go ahead.” Then he turned to the two soldiers and asked, “Whose orders? Is this even authorized? You must not do anything against the rules, and even more so, you must not damage the general’s reputation.”

Hearing this, the two soldiers were briefly stunned at the same time. One of them then smiled and said, “We are acting on the orders of the acting captain of the Sirius Fleet, and the higher-ups have also approved it. It’s completely authorized and will not affect the general’s reputation. Please rest assured.”

The other soldier said, “We were previously afraid of disturbing you, so the brothers have always stayed in the dark and never entered the campus. But seeing the situation today, it seems better to stay a little closer. Otherwise, if we only learn of your danger through drones before taking action, it would still cause some delay. Madam Commander, what do you think?”

Yuan Yi found this form of address a bit awkward and said, “Just call me Yuan Yi.”

The soldier replied immediately, “We wouldn’t dare.”

Yuan Yi looked up at the military aircraft hovering in the air. “Then I’ll trouble you, but there’s no need to get too close. Also, help me thank the others. Sorry for the trouble.”

The two had initially worried that Yuan Yi would be unhappy after discovering them, but to their surprise, not only was he not displeased, but he also turned the concern back on them, worrying whether they had acted against regulations. This moved them, and they replied in unison, “It’s no trouble, please go ahead.”

Yuan Yi picked up his things and left, as if the incident of him hitting someone had nothing to do with him.

Zhou Xingran was still calling out behind him, but Yuan Yi didn’t spare him a single glance. This scene was also witnessed by others who had rushed over from the medical academy, including Li Heng.

Yue Zhen said, “Aren’t you going to check on him? Junior Yuan, after all, is still—”

Li Heng lowered his gaze, concealing a fleeting trace of gentleness. “No need. His husband has a built like Tyrannosaurus rex. His son wouldn’t be so weak that he can’t handle something this minor.”

But as for Zhou Xingran and Fang Jing, it seemed they couldn’t be allowed to stay.