The long journey has never made him forget that he is a human, and sooner or later, he will return to Earth. Love, at this moment, seems too distant for him, something he cannot reach. Any budding feelings are promptly extinguished by his own hands, without the need for external intervention.
Moreover, Yusto is a dignified prince, while he is just an illiterate rogue. No matter how you look at it, they don’t seem quite compatible.
Lu Yuan, with a trace of conscience, feels that he cannot delay Yusto. However, after rejecting the other party yesterday, he spent the entire night tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He can’t quite articulate the strange feeling in his heart.
The next morning, it was once again a compulsory main class for the entire morning.
Typically, the teachers in charge of theory classes were somewhat weaker and easy to bully, often becoming stepping stones for students. However, due to Lu Yuan’s stern warning to Brian and the others yesterday, after kicking a troublemaker in the butt like swatting a fly, those troublemakers instantly quieted down. Their class had become the most well-behaved in the entire first grade.
During the morning discipline inspection, other classes more or less had some minor issues, but Class Three remained calm and composed. The students inside were either reading or sitting quietly, without a single mischief-maker among them.
As Yusto led the disciplinary committee through the corridor, the view outside the windows was a sea of uniforms, further terrifying the students, making them too scared to even lift their heads.
Yulejia, relying on his instinct that abnormal situations must have a reason, lightly bumped Yusto’s arm and asked, “Class Three seems a bit strange. Should we go in and take a look?”
The usually restless class suddenly became quiet, which didn’t bring comfort to the disciplinary committee. Instead, they felt that these students must be hiding something. Moreover, Lu Yuan was also in Class Three, and Yulejia believed that the silver-haired rogue beside him would not refuse.
Unexpectedly, Yusto refused, saying, “No need. There won’t be any trouble inside.”
He knew that Class Three was under Lu Yuan’s supervision, and the probability of troublemakers causing a ruckus was low. Besides, he wanted to leave as quickly as possible to avoid running into that male zerg.
Yulejia let out a hiss and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, asked, “Did you take the wrong medicine today? You don’t even want to go in and check on Your Excellency Lu Yuan?”
He was deliberately stirring the pot.
Upon hearing those words, Yusto’s steps faltered. Inevitably, he recalled the embarrassing incident from yesterday. In reality, he hadn’t figured out how to face Lu Yuan. During today’s disciplinary inspection, he had even considered taking a leave, but after some thought, he found that it would be too deliberate to avoid it. So, he reluctantly came over.
Yusto glanced at the classroom windows, lost in thought about something. Then, he casually averted his gaze and continued walking forward, his voice calm, “I only consider His Excellency Lu Yuan as a friend, nothing more. Please refrain from making such jokes in the future.”
Yes, just friends.
That was all they could be.
Gohedra’s ancestors once taught their descendants to learn the art of plunder and combat because only true treasures were worth fighting for. Yusto had always regarded this as a lifelong principle. However, it wasn’t until yesterday, after being gracefully rejected by Lu Yuan, that he realized there were many things in the world that couldn’t be seized by brute force.
The spoils Yusto had captured in the past were different from Lu Yuan. The latter had thoughts and emotions, unlike the former’s cold, lifeless objects. It wasn’t something he could obtain just because he liked it. Yusto was beginning to vaguely understand that there was a difference between liking something and being liked in return.
Yusto couldn’t go against Lu Yuan’s wishes, and he couldn’t compromise his own pride. Persistent pursuit would only completely tarnish the last shred of dignity he held in Lu Yuan’s eyes.
Yusto decided to keep a low profile for a while and, during this time, avoid Lu Yuan as much as possible. Currently, he couldn’t face Lu Yuan as if nothing had happened, and he needed time to sort out some issues.
Little did he know, Lu Yuan wasn’t even in the classroom.
Today marked the first day of Lu Yuan’s determined efforts. He persisted through the entire morning self-study session, pinching his thigh hard to prevent himself from dozing off. Eventually, unable to endure any longer, he went to the restroom to splash his face with cold water, hoping to wake himself up.
Of course, the effect was virtually nonexistent.
By the time Lu Yuan returned to the classroom, the discipline team had already left. Only a group of black figures gradually disappearing around the corner of the corridor remained.
Seeing the scene, Lu Yuan’s steps faltered, and his brain instantly snapped back to alertness. He stood in place, seemingly considering catching up, but for some reason, he hesitated and ultimately leaned against the corridor wall. He rubbed his face, suddenly regretting his words from yesterday, realizing that he had spoken too harshly and now couldn’t even maintain a friendship with Yusto.
Lu Yuan felt a twinge of regret. Yusto was the first friend he made in the true sense after joining the Zerg race. He instinctively didn’t want to grow distant from him.
Lost in thought, Lu Yuan finally decided to return to the classroom. Given that most of the underachievers didn’t use the front door, he slipped into the classroom through the back door. Because his steps were light, and he had years of experience skipping classes, none of the zergs noticed him when he returned to the class—
Including the curly-haired male zerg who was secretly rummaging through something in Lu Yuan’s drawer.
Now, within the entire freshman group, if there were to be a vote for the most popular male zerg, Lu Yuan would undoubtedly be the second, as no zerg dared to take the first place. Almost every class, his drawer would be filled with dozens of love letters, from classmates, neighboring classes, and even seniors. Unfortunately, Lu Yuan couldn’t read, and he had never opened any of these letters.
Seeing the scene, Lu Yuan’s steps faltered. He thought even male zergs were now sending him love letters. However, upon closer inspection, he realized the zerg was tearing up his class assignments.
Lu Yuan: “…”
…Damn it.
Unlike the intense infatuation the female zergs in the class had for Lu Yuan, the male zergs harbored a deep-seated hatred for him. They constantly schemed ways to get back at him, but since they couldn’t win in a direct confrontation, they resorted to a devious and childish plan: secretly tearing up Lu Yuan’s notebooks.
Coincidentally, the professor had assigned class notes the previous day, and they were due to be collected soon. Seizing the opportunity while Lu Yuan went to the restroom, a bold and reckless male zerg hurriedly approached, rummaging through Lu Yuan’s bag and drawer. He threatened the surrounding female zergs not to snitch, or they would face consequences.
However, when this male zerg finally found Lu Yuan’s class notes and was about to tear them apart without a second thought, he suddenly fell into contemplation, staring at the blank pieces of paper on the ground—
Because he realized Lu Yuan seemed to have never written anything.
He hadn’t expected Lu Yuan to be academically challenged…
The male zerg stared dumbfoundedly at the scattered pieces on the ground, attempting to find any traces of writing that would prove Lu Yuan had completed the assignment. However, the papers were completely blank, cleaner than his own face. “…”
“Enjoyed tearing it up?”
Just as the male zerg began to question the meaning of Zerg life, a voice filled with “concern” unexpectedly sounded from above him, startling him to the point of sitting abruptly on the floor. Panicking, he turned around, only to find Lu Yuan had appeared behind him without warning, staring at him expressionlessly.
“!!!!!!”
The male zerg, who had torn the assignment, was instantly terrified, attempting to crawl away in fear. However, Lu Yuan, quick on the draw, grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back, raising an eyebrow coldly. “I asked you a question. Did you enjoy tearing it up?”
The male zerg, now unstable on his feet, lost the earlier bravado he had while tearing up the assignment. Reacting instinctively, he nodded, then realizing his mistake, he vigorously shook his head, wearing a miserable expression. “No… not enjoyable…”
Lu Yuan detested zergs who schemed behind others’ backs the most. He instinctively raised his hand to strike, but suddenly remembered that the disciplinary committee might not be too far away. He forcefully restrained himself and lowered his hand.
Lu Yuan suppressed his anger and decided to resolve the issue in a civilized manner. He asked ominously, “You tore up my assignment. What do you plan to do about it?”
The male zerg, expecting a beating, was surprised when Lu Yuan lowered his hand. Feeling as if he had been granted a reprieve, he hurriedly returned to his seat and fetched a brand new notebook, offering it to Lu Yuan. “I’ll compensate you with a new one! I’ll compensate you with a new one!”
Lu Yuan took the notebook, flipped through several pages, only to find them all blank. He furrowed his brow and asked, “Why are there no writings?”
The male zerg was bewildered. “Writings?”
Lu Yuan clarified, “Of course, the assignment!”
The male zerg became even more confused. “I… I didn’t write anything.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan directly tossed the notebook into the male zerg’s lap. He felt it was necessary to give him a memorable lesson, letting him understand how challenging it was to complete assignments and how shameful tearing them up could be. “Very well, you can go write it now. Once you finish, compensate me.”
The male zerg choked at his words, thinking, ‘Damn it, I didn’t write the assignment. Why should I write it now and compensate him?’ However, he dared not voice his thoughts and stammered, “Y-Your notebook was blank from the beginning!”
Lu Yuan was well aware that his notebook was blank. However, it was precisely because of this that he became increasingly infuriated. Thankfully, he hadn’t written anything last night. Otherwise, wouldn’t his assignment have been torn to shreds by this troublemaker just now?!
Lu Yuan grabbed the male zerg’s collar, gritting his teeth in silence. “You have two choices now. First, go write the assignment. Second…”
The male zerg cautiously inquired, “What’s the second choice?”
Lu Yuan sneered, “The second choice is: I’ll tear you apart just like you tore my assignment!”
Male zerg: “!!!!!!”
As Lu Yuan’s words fell, there was a loud crash, and the male zerg immediately scrambled back to his seat, frantically catching up on his assignment. He didn’t even care if he bumped into desks; the whole class stared in disbelief.
Lu Yuan recalled that the professor had mentioned collecting the assignments and placing them in the office. He glanced at the terminal’s clock, then looked at the group of male zergs peering from the corner. Expressionless, he raised an eyebrow as a warning. “What are you looking at? I’ll start collecting assignments in an hour. If anyone hasn’t written theirs, they’ll face the consequences!”
All the male zergs who hadn’t completed their assignments instantly bristled in panic: “!!!!!!”
Class Three, originally the quietest in the entire corridor, erupted like a boiling pot of water at Lu Yuan’s words. The male zergs scrambled to find pens, flipped through their notebooks, and chaos ensued.
Lu Yuan allowed them to be in a frenzy as they caught up on their assignments. He casually found a broom, swept away the paper scraps on the floor, and then sat at his desk, lost in thought.
He looked up at the window outside, where a flower bed adorned the wall. At the end of the curved corridor was the teacher’s office, and a bit further was the place where the disciplinary committee usually held their meetings, if he remembered correctly.
Lu Yuan hadn’t been there, so he wasn’t entirely sure.
The first-year teachers’ offices were in a public area. During their leisure time, they would inevitably discuss the current situation in their classes. Todd, responsible for teaching Class Five, had been feeling quite a headache lately. After reviewing the few assignments on his desk, he took off his glasses, pinched his nose, and self-deprecatingly said to the other teachers, “Look at these assignment books that haven’t reached the height of a biscuit. Who would have thought that I’d have over sixty students in my class? I don’t even know what grades to give those male zergs. They don’t turn in assignments every day. Zerg God above, let them fail!”
Another female teacher sighed and said, “Forget it. With the most male zergs in Class Five, having them stay in the academy is only torment for you. You should pray for them to graduate quickly, preferably never appearing in front of you again.”
His words resonated with many teachers. Only an elderly female zerg sat in his seat, flipping through books and not participating in the discussion. He was none other than the professor who taught Lu Yuan’s class “Interstellar Warfare History” yesterday.
The teacher from Class Four asked with concern, “Professor Mandy, I taught next door yesterday, and I heard some commotion from Class Three. The students shouldn’t have been too unruly, right?”
Professor Mandy was the oldest and most experienced among them, and the other teachers couldn’t help but show a bit more concern. “If Class Three is really difficult to manage, you can report it to General Saphir. However, he seems quite busy lately. If that doesn’t work, you might have to approach the Discipline Committee.”
Most members of the Discipline Committee were from the upper echelons of society. It wasn’t because they discriminated against commoners, but rather, if they wanted to control the students who were either rich or noble, they needed leaders with even higher status. Seventh Prince Yusto was a typical example.
Unfortunately, being the Crown Prince, he would graduate from the academy in less than a year and move on to a position within the core military system. At the moment, they hadn’t found a suitable successor.
Professor Mandy lifted his head upon hearing this, closed the book in his hands, adjusted his glasses on his nose, and smiled, saying, “You don’t need to worry. I’ve been teaching for so many years; I’ve seen all kinds of troublesome students. Even if there are any, I’ve long gotten used to it.”
He added with a chuckle, “The class monitor in Class Three can handle things.”
Professor Todd seemed to have heard of it, shaking his head slightly. “Is it that black-haired male zerg? Instructor Horik must be confused, letting a male zerg be the class monitor.”
Another female teacher covered his mouth and laughed, “Maybe it’s because that gentleman is handsome. I saw him from a distance before, and he does have the charm to make female zergs dizzy. I heard the school network has started selecting this year’s most popular male zergs. It’s probably him.”
Professor Todd was a bit old-fashioned, and upon hearing this, he snorted coldly, feeling that love was a waste of time. “Not studying well, but so enthusiastic about female zergs. What’s the use of a handsome face? Can you eat with it?!”
The female teacher who spoke earlier secretly disagreed with this in his heart. He thought a handsome face could indeed be quite useful. With such a face, he might even be able to get a full meal by begging.
“Knock, knock, knock—”
As they were talking, the office door was suddenly knocked. All the teachers instinctively looked over, only to see a tall male zerg standing outside the door, holding a thick stack of assignments. With black hair and eyes, he had a handsome face, turning out to be the “Class Three class monitor” they were just discussing.
Unaware that he had just narrowly avoided becoming the subject of office gossip, Lu Yuan stood at the door and said to Professor Mandy, “Professor, may I come in?”
Professor Mandy straightened up, adjusted his glasses, and said, “Sure, come in. Are you here to submit assignments?”
Lu Yuan nodded and then placed the thick stack of assignments from his arms on the corner of the desk. Because it was quite heavy, it even produced a muffled sound. “All the assignments from the whole class are here.”
“Hmm?” Professor Mandy raised his eyebrows in surprise. “All of them? Are you sure?”
With these words, even the other teachers looked over, thinking that Lu Yuan might be lying. It was rare for a class to submit all assignments at once. However, as they stared at the mountain of assignment books on the desk, they all fell into a state of stunned silence.
Lu Yuan didn’t understand why the teachers were so surprised. He counted again and found that the quantity was correct: “All forty-five assignments from the entire class are here.”
Professor Mandy thought Lu Yuan might have handed in a bunch of empty books. He randomly picked a few assignments from the male students and discovered that they were filled with class notes. Although the handwriting was messy and the content was full of mistakes, at least they had put some effort into it.
“……”
Professor Mandy was starting to doubt his zerg life, and after a while, he finally came back to his senses. He adjusted his glasses and noticed that Lu Yuan was still standing in front of him, waiting for a response. With a slow response, he said, “Oh… about that, I’ll correct them this afternoon. I’ll mark any mistakes or omissions, and you can help distribute them. Make sure they make corrections.”
“Corrections?”
Lu Yuan nodded instinctively at the words, thinking it wasn’t a difficult task. “Sure, I’ll go back and let them know.”
He had no idea of the astonishment he had caused in the office. After speaking, he turned and walked towards the exit. However, at the turning point, he unexpectedly collided with an unforeseen individual – none other than Yusto.
Lu Yuan hadn’t expected to run into him here and was momentarily stunned. “Yusto?”
Yusto held a stack of documents in his hands, containing a list of first-year students who had violated school rules. He was about to deliver them to the respective class advisers when, coincidentally, he met Lu Yuan at the doorway.
“Is it you?”
Yusto looked at Lu Yuan, momentarily surprised, but quickly regained his composure. He instinctively hid the papers behind him, reminiscent of how he concealed the invitation card the night before. He greeted casually, “What a coincidence, Your Excellency. I didn’t expect to encounter you here.”
After speaking, he fell into an abrupt silence, suddenly unsure of what to say.
Lu Yuan couldn’t help but notice that Yusto seemed to have aged a lot overnight. Unintentionally furrowing his brows, he asked, “Are you here to deliver documents to the office?”
Yusto, upon hearing this, subconsciously glanced at the documents in his hand, seemingly finding a convenient excuse to excuse himself. He sighed slightly in relief and said to Lu Yuan, “Yes, I must go inside now, Your Excellency.”
After speaking, he turned to walk towards the office. However, as they brushed past each other, Lu Yuan suddenly grabbed his wrist. The pressure from Lu Yuan’s fingertips tightened for a moment and then receded like a tidal wave.
Yusto halted in his steps, slowly lowering his gaze to the intertwined wrists. The frosty lashes cast a shadow under his eyes. In a low and mysterious tone, he asked, “Your Excellency…?”
“…”
In truth, Lu Yuan wasn’t entirely sure why he did that. He opened his mouth, his brain working rapidly, and finally found a suitable reason, “I’m free this weekend. How about you take me to order a suit?”
“…”
Yusto paused, not expecting that this was Lu Yuan’s intention. He couldn’t discern if he felt disappointed or something else. After a moment, he slightly curled his lips, a charming smile playing on his face with no apparent difference from before. “Certainly, Your Excellency. It would be my pleasure.”
As he was about to go inside, Lu Yuan grabbed his wrist again. After a moment of hesitation, Lu Yuan’s voice came with uncertainty, “I still owe you two meals. If you don’t mind, we can have them together this weekend.”
Yusto: “…”
Author’s note:
Yusto: QAQ Even if I starve to death, I won’t eat anything from Lu Yuan!
Lu Yuan: Let’s go, time for a meal.
Yusto: (〃’▽’〃) Where are we going~
![He Lived Like You [End of the World]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/HLLY.jpg "He Lived Like You [End of the World]")
