Twenty-Eight

You Qi carried Zhou Mu downstairs on his back. Wherever they went, classmates would scatter dozens of meters away.

Downstairs, they ran into senior Xiao Xiao sunning himself. The moment Xiao Xiao saw Zhou Mu, his hind legs scrambled frantically, and he jumped up. He didn't dare approach, nor did he dare run, just watched them pass by from where he stood.

Now that Zhou Mu's identity was known to the whole school, senior Xiao Xiao's past unusual behavior had a reasonable explanation—the keen-nosed senior had simply known too much…

'Haha, senior.' Zhou Mu greeted Xiao Xiao and said, 'Sit.'

You Qi, hearing this, thought Zhou Mu wanted to pat the senior's head, so he crouched down while still carrying him on his back.

Senior Xiao Xiao also thought the command was for him. He bent his hind legs, lifted his front paws, puffed out his chest, and sat firmly upright.

You Qi and Xiao Xiao completed their actions almost simultaneously, their eyes meeting—

Xiao Xiao: '…'

You Qi: '…………'

…Well, it was a bit awkward, but this wasn't the first time it had happened.

The senior's dog eyes glanced sideways at You Qi a few times, then, as if used to it, he stuck out his tongue: 'Ha.'

Zhou Mu picked up a twig and threw it with force, sending it flying far away. The senior immediately shot off like an arrow from a bow. This trick worked on the senior every time.

After throwing it, Zhou Mu clapped his hands clean and heard You Qi ask, 'Did you do that on purpose?'

'No. Although you both look… cute.' As he spoke, Zhou Mu leaned his head forward and planted a kiss on You Qi's ear.

The descendant of the Heaven-Hound naturally had incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, the senior had caught the twig before it hit the ground and run back, just in time to see Zhou Mu's mouth close to You Qi's ear. He panicked, his dog paws skidding to a halt on the spot, scraping the ground a few times and kicking up dust, then turned and sprinted away at full speed—several times faster than when he'd fetched the twig.

Zhou Mu immediately let out a triumphant laugh. 'Senior is such a scaredy-cat.'

For someone who was terrified of him to the point of pissing himself, he only felt triumphant and amused.

The corner of You Qi's mouth lifted involuntarily. He walked toward the canteen. 'So, back when you were in school, did many people who knew your identity, like Gongzi Cong, avoid you like this?'

'The Yao Clan all knew, but the Human Race didn't. Plus, I attended a Human Race school, so I usually hung out with humans. And humans are very brave. My dad is a human hybrid, and I have lots of human relatives. When I was in kindergarten, my aunt hired me as a bodyguard.' Although Zhou Mu was a Fierce Beast like You Qi, he hadn't had You Qi's experiences. Even the Yao Clan didn't dare avoid him too openly.

He gestured, describing how, when he was just a tiny little thing, his human relatives would take him out as a lethal weapon to scare the Yao Clan.

You Qi tried to imagine that little taotie, only a speck big, and found it hard to think of anything but adorable.

When they first met, You Qi had thought, 'So this is a Yao Clan member raised in a human city.' Now the situation had turned upside down, but he still had to sigh at that thought. It was precisely this ferocious yet not solitary Zhou Mu who had drawn You Qi in.

As they talked, they reached the canteen. Still at the entrance, Zhou Mu jumped off You Qi's back, trotted a couple of steps, and charged through the door.

A large swath of students instantly took a big step back in unison, looking completely startled, caught off guard.

Especially when Zhou Mu twitched his nose. 'Hmm, what's for food today?'

Everyone was rather unsure whether Zhou Mu's gaze was fixed on the serving windows or on them…

Fortunately, at that moment, You Qi lifted the curtain and strolled in, casually scooping Zhou Mu into his arms and heading for the window.

In an instant, the students frozen like statues revived, resuming their actions, though much slower and carefully watching Zhou Mu's movements.

Phew, that was close. Thank goodness classmate You Qi showed up.

You Qi had transformed into a relatively popular classmate on campus. Witnessing the massive change in his own treatment everywhere, he wasn't sure what to think.

Zhou Mu piled his plate high with food and sat down with You Qi. Glancing at those mercurial classmates, he said, 'I'll take you to my hometown someday. In a human city, no one cares what kind of monster or demon you are.'

You Qi thought of Gongzi Cong's words again. Zhou Mu really was quite different toward him, wasn't he…

It would be even better if Zhou Mu let him kiss him now.

You Qi stared intently at Zhou Mu's lips.

Zhou Mu seemed completely unaware, still resting his chin on his hand and sighing. 'Ah, I really love my hometown. When I left, the Yao Clan's relevant department even awarded me a City Contribution Award.'

That sentence yanked You Qi out of his romantic thoughts. He looked down. 'A City Contribution Award?'

Zhou Mu explained, 'It's an award that rewards citizens for making positive contributions to the city's environment or life. There's a shiny gold medal, but I left it at home.'

You Qi fell silent. 'I know what it is. I meant, why did they give it to you?'

'Didn't I just say?' Zhou Mu bit his fork, looking at him innocently. 'Because I left there.'

You Qi: '…………'

In that case, if you not only go back but also bring another Fierce Beast with you, aren't you kind of betraying the spirit of that award?

.

Three days later, the day of the Team Combat finals, also the final day of the Yao Clan University Games.

Zhou Mu woke up nestled in You Qi's arms, groggily seeing Chun Shijiu. 'Why are you still in our dorm?'

What do you mean 'our' dorm? You're both from the opposite side!!

Chun Shijiu first felt extreme grief and indignation, then his expression shifted to delight. 'You mean… I can move out?'

No more, no more. As long as Zhou Mu was willing to let him go, he'd gladly give this dorm to the two of them.

Zhou Mu was more awake now. He sat up and continued to space out for a while before saying, 'Wait, if you move out, who'll handle the chores? Forget it, stay a while longer.'

Zhou Mu changed into his school robe. You Qi also got up a moment later, hugging the nearby Zhou Mu and kissing his waist.

Zhou Mu draped himself over him. 'Oh right, there's the finals today.'

He'd heard it was a tradition in past years for everyone to place bets during these days, gambling on who would win the championship.

Zhou Mu hadn't checked online these past few days. Or rather, since enrolling, he hardly ever looked at the school forum. They used the internal network here; he usually surfed the human internet. 'I wonder what our odds are.'

'That betting pool is basically dead—it's completely unnecessary.' Chun Shijiu gave a dry laugh. 'You don't know, do you? The hottest betting items now are all about who you'd prefer to eat, me or You Qi.'

Zhou Mu said, puzzled, 'Why compare you and You Qi?'

…I really thank you for that. Chun Shijiu forced a smile. 'Yeah, why indeed? How could I possibly compare.'

He took out his phone and checked. 'Anyway, there are hardly any betting items related to the matches anymore. The biggest one is betting on who'll be the runner-up, plus some side bets on trivial stuff like what pose they'll use to celebrate when they get the award.'

The fight for runner-up was far more intense and suspenseful than the one for champion.

It also showed that Hualing Academy's people were quite capable of self-adjustment—they'd still find a way to gamble on this. Truly worthy of the school with the legendary ferocious ethos.

Thinking that today he'd also get to decide who the runner-up was, Zhou Mu felt even better. 'Hmm, there's still over an hour till mealtime… uh, till the match starts. So go to the canteen quick and buy me a few steamers of soup dumplings. I need a snack before the meal!'

Chun Shijiu: '…Okay, okay.'

The competition venue.

Almost the entire school's teachers and students had gathered. The Principal of Hualing Academy was also present, standing next to volunteer classmate Tian Qi, who today was responsible for holding a glazed tray with Shou Teacher on it.

Today, the champions of several key events would be awarded by the Principal and Shou Teacher respectively.

First up was the individual Combat Match. The three contestants appeared on-site to warm up, and from that moment on, the cheers were constant. Sometimes a contestant's small gesture would make the spectator stands erupt in screams, taken as a sign they were going to win.

The Principal smiled slightly and said to Cui Jue, 'Old Cui, who do you favor more?'

The Principal spoke elegantly—he didn't say 'bet,' he said 'favor.'

Cui Jue answered honestly, 'I've placed a heavy bet on the man from Jingshan, wagering a stalk of purple ganoderma.'

The Principal laughed. 'Jingshan is indeed good this year, quite competitive, but compared to our school, they're still not up to par.'

Cui Jue was a bit puzzled. 'Boss, our school didn't make the finals this year.'

'That's for the individual event. The team event made it, didn't it? That's much more prestigious than the individual. We've locked in the championship early, and even the runner-up and third place are our own faction.' The Principal's tone was light.

...You really know how to comfort yourself, calling them your own faction!

Thinking of it made Cui Jue want to curse. The Principal was the one who negotiated Zhou Mu's enrollment, but after he entered, Cui Jue was responsible for supervision. When something happened, it was Cui Jue who cleaned up. The Principal only knew how to talk.

Cui Jue rubbed his face. Fine, everyone was just finding joy in hardship.

With that thought, the individual event contestants entered the arena. On the other side, the teams for the team event also appeared one after another, beginning their 'warm-up.' Compared to the sweat-drenched warm-ups of the individual event, the so-called warm-ups here involved no major movements.

The two teams not from Hualing sat in place, occasionally rolling up their sleeves or taking off their jackets.

Every time they exposed skin or soft flesh, it would draw cheers not much less than those for the individual contestants warming up: Look at that texture! Isn't it only right they take runner-up?!

On Zhou Mu's team's side, Chun Shijiu, as support personnel, was also present, holding a bag of steamed buns and occasionally feeding Zhou Mu a bite. Appetizing counted as warming up too.

Whenever Chun Shijiu or You Qi got close to Zhou Mu, it would also draw cheers from the audience.

Chun Shijiu had explained this to Zhou Mu long ago—it was because they were betting on whether Zhou Mu preferred eating You Qi or Chun Shijiu. Zhou Mu had always been fond of mischief. Hearing the cheers, he would even pretend to open his mouth behind Chun Shijiu's back, as if to eat Chun Shijiu's head.

Chun Shijiu, with his back to Zhou Mu, heard the screams from the spectator stands: '......'

What a sin!!

You Qi was still wearing the clothes Zhou Mu had given him, but because the weather was getting cooler, he'd put on the suit jacket. Only, since he didn't know how to tie a tie, his collar was loose. He stood coldly to the side, watching Chun Shijiu get scared.

To outsiders, his odds really didn't seem as good as Chun Shijiu's.

A whistle sounded. The champion of the individual event had been decided. Waves of applause and cheers surged through the venue. On the big screen, the champion's face was still smeared with bloodstains as he let out a victorious roar, then quickly ran out of the arena.

Soon his sprinting figure appeared in everyone's line of sight... He turned a curve about fifty meters in front of Zhou Mu, arcing toward the podium, clenched his fist, and waved.

Zhou Mu also clapped a couple of times, then patted his stomach. 'Haha, our turn.'

The host swallowed his saliva. This time, prepared in advance, his commentary was much more fitting—it just sounded a bit odd: 'Next, let us invite the three teams of the Combat Match team event to enter the competition arena. This is a match everyone has been looking forward to, and we are all very familiar with the characteristics of each team.'

'Uh, we see Zhuji walking in first. He is from Beihai, with a horse body and wings—one could say he combines two flavors. Moreover, legend has it that those who see Zhuji 'live long,' so Zhuji also has health benefits!'

At this line, Zhuji's supporters went wild, shouting, 'Runner-up! Runner-up! Runner-up!'

'......' Zhuji didn't know whether to laugh or not. Coming to participate in a sports meet had reduced him to a health food. He waved his hand dryly.

Chief referee Xie Rulin secretly shook his head: So twisted!

The host continued his commentary: 'Then we also see contestant Shen Peng. This one has the advantage of origin, with a uniquely crisp and refreshing texture. He was quite favored by student Zhou Mu during the Selection Contest. Among all the big fish and meat, his refreshing quality took an unconventional path, proving surprisingly effective. He is also a strong contender for runner-up.'

There was also applause from supporters on-site.

Shen Peng remained unperturbed. After all, he had already pledged himself to Zhou Mu.

'You must know, victory or defeat is decided in an instant. Everyone's strength is close; details determine success or failure. Even a heavy rain could change the texture. Next, let's wait and see!'

With a whistle from Gongzi Cong, the finals began.

It started quickly and ended quickly too.

Zhou Mu, his appetite whetted by the steamed bun warm-up, conducted a second tasting of the athletes he had sampled during the Selection Contest. This time, he could discern even more details.

Especially when facing Shen Peng, Zhou Mu even beckoned: 'Hey, this one must be paired with a bit of Guigui.'

Gui Youqi: '...... I've only grown ten centimeters!!'

Zhou Mu: 'Just one bite~'

Many people whispered that if Gui Youqi were on another team, he might be a plus point too.

Soon, Zhou Mu, having tasted a round, raised Shen Peng's hand and announced the runner-up.

It seemed Zhou Mu, having tasted many feasts lately, preferred something refreshing—or perhaps he was taking care of his own staff. This was unknown.

The Principal led the way, smiling and applauding.

The audience members who had won their bets also jumped up: 'We won! Yeah!'

Anyone who didn't know would have thought Shen Peng was the one who had won the championship.

Zhou Mu was still in his original form. He led the way out of the arena, his tail swaying happily as he walked toward the podium. They were to receive their medals together with the top three of the individual event.

Tian Qi stood by the award platform holding Shou Teacher.

The Principal was responsible for awarding the individual event, and Shou Teacher was responsible for awarding the Combat Match side. At the moment, it held several medals in its hand, with flowers placed beside them—these were grown in the school's fragrant garden, a collection of flowers from all four seasons.

Zhou Mu stood on the champion award platform amid applause with the other four. When You Qi stepped up, he transformed into human form, placing a hand on Zhou Mu's horn. Zhou Mu affectionately rubbed his head against him.

The spectator stands, seeing this scene, naturally also erupted in applause from You Qi's supporters.

You Qi's expression remained unchanged.

Zhou Mu, seeing this scene, rolled his amber eyes. He opened his mouth and plucked a camellia from that bouquet of flowers. The fresh crimson double-layered bloom still bore a few drops of dew. Held in the mouth of the Fierce Beast, it looked fragile enough to peel apart petal by petal the next second.

The audience watched, a bit puzzled. What, eating something vegetarian again?

But then they saw Zhou Mu's pink paw pad pat You Qi, then toss his head, inserting the camellia into the pocket on You Qi's chest. The red flower bloomed against the black fabric on the Fierce Beast's chest.

You Qi was startled at first, then the tips of his ears turned slightly red. He remained silent.

He heard the spectator stands fall somewhat silent. Everyone still didn't seem to grasp what Zhou Mu's action represented, a bit at a loss. Someone even joked, 'I'd say anyone who didn't know would think they're dating...'

Years of self-restraint meant You Qi rarely did things outside the rules. He had even given up normal eating. Even so, everyone still believed he would break his vows sooner or later.

So much so that now, everyone again speculated whether Zhou Mu preferred him or Chun Shijiu. He hadn't said anything about that either.

Zhou Mu's action of holding the flower in his mouth was just like when he had fed the pastry to You Qi's lips. You Qi stroked the camellia, looking deeply at Zhou Mu. '...May I?'

Zhou Mu transformed into human form, looked up, blinked his left eye, and reached out to untie the Mouth Cage he had personally fastened.

Shou Teacher, seeing this, acted swiftly, putting down the medal to cover Tian Qi's eyes.

The next second, under the naked-eye and big-screen gaze and recording of everyone in the venue, You Qi gently held Zhou Mu's waist, lowered his head, and kissed him. And that spine-chilling Fierce Beast rose on his toes, holding You Qi's face as he kissed back.

Everyone's hair and the corners of their clothes were lifted by a free, flower-and-wood-scented wind, fluttering loudly. In the utter silence, it seemed one could only hear the sound of the wind coming and going, weaving through.

The silence continued until the two slowly parted.

Zhou Mu, having shocked everyone once again, licked his lower lip. 'Mm... my roommate is super fragrant.'

-end-