IMAO Chapter 32

The moment Song Yirui heard Qiu Jingming mention Jiang Yuan’s distress, his heart clenched painfully. Three days ago, when he saw Jiang Yuan, he had wanted to speak with him, to apologize and admit his mistakes. But because Qiu Jingming was in the room, in heat, Jiang Yuan had immediately pulled him inside…

At that time, Jiang Yuan had walked quickly ahead, and Song Yirui couldn’t see his expression. What emotions had Jiang Yuan felt when he pushed him through that door? Song Yirui’s breath caught as he considered this, not daring to delve deeper. The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt.

“Rui-gege, you still haven’t answered me!” Seeing that Song Yirui wasn’t responding, Qiu Jingming grasped the tips of his fingers. His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he asked, a hint of grievance in his voice.

Song Yirui snapped back to reality upon hearing Qiu Jingming’s soft, coquettish tone. He looked at Qiu Jingming, his expression complicated.

He wasn’t sure if he should see Jiang Yuan again, or if Jiang Yuan would even want to see him. If he went with Qiu Jingming, it would only upset Jiang Yuan more. After much hesitation, Song Yirui said quietly, “Jingming, you’re still weak. Stay and rest at the hotel. I’ll go find Jiang Yuan. Whether he wants to hit me or curse at me, I’ll handle it.”

Seeing the forlorn and worried look on Song Yirui’s face, Qiu Jingming bit his lower lip hard with his pearly teeth, until he tasted blood. Only then did he manage a faint smile and nod. “Alright then, Rui-gege. I’m a bit hungry.”

“Mm, I’ll order some food for you,” Song Yirui replied.

…

8 a.m.

A shrill bell rang out as the Mecha Department students assembled on the training grounds. It was a rare occasion for all three classes to have lessons together.

As they arrived, a young, handsome man with oriental features¹I know that this is an interstellar settings and there should not be Asia, but the raw does say Asian/of Asian descent, and I’m not sure how to translate that to fit the setting so I just opted to use this. If you have any suggestion to make it better, please let me know. in a crisp military uniform appeared before them. In a stern voice, he announced, “Your three classes’ instructors are unavailable today, so I’ll be taking over. I’m your instructor for today, He Chuan.”

The students from all three classes exchanged puzzled glances. It was strange for all their teachers to be absent at once. Most of the instructors at the military academy held military ranks and positions in the military department, so they sometimes had missions away from school. It wasn’t unheard of for one instructor to cover for another’s class…

But this was the first time all three instructors were absent simultaneously.

“Where did our instructors go? Do they have a mission?”

“Yeah…”

He Chuan: “Everyone who just spoke, about-face and run! Ten thousand meters!”

“What the hell? We were just asking…”

As soon as the words left He Chuan’s mouth, someone protested. He Chuan coldly amended his previous order, “Twenty thousand meters for everyone.”

“Today, I’ll teach you one principle: when a superior officer gives an order, your job is to obey absolutely, not to question! Anyone who has a problem with that can leave right now.”

Leave?

The students looked at each other. Leaving wasn’t an option, so they had no choice but to run!

“The last fifty to finish will run an additional ten thousand meters,” He Chuan added nonchalantly just as the students reached the track.

“Damn! This guy is trying to break us!” A student grumbled under his breath.

“Hey, how about we make this a competition?” another suggested.

“Sure!” Arlo nodded casually in response to his companion’s suggestion.

“We’re in, too!”

He Chuan started the timer, and with a single command, the students shot off like arrows.

Ji Rong ran in the middle lane. He could see Jiang Yuan with just a slight turn of his head. Arlo and a few others had agreed to race, immediately picking up speed and sprinting ahead!

Ji Rong, who hadn’t been moving quickly before, suddenly accelerated upon seeing the back of Arlo’s head, finding it somewhat irritating.

Arlo had just proudly taken the lead when suddenly, two figures streaked past him.

Arlo: ??

Ji Rong and Jiang Yuan had instantly taken the lead. Undoubtedly, in terms of physical ability, even though Jiang Yuan worked hard to overcome his limitations, as a Beta, he was still at a slight disadvantage. Nevertheless, Jiang Yuan’s speed was not slow, keeping close behind Ji Rong.

As everyone began to compete, the overall pace quickened noticeably.

Ten minutes passed, and those running behind were astounded.

These two were incredibly fast, their physical abilities far surpassing the others. The gap between them and the third-place runner had widened considerably!

For Ji Rong, the training in the Planet Noth military was as simple as eating and drinking. He woke up with his father every day and trained with the garrison. If he could manage in the harsh weather of Planet Noth, the pleasant climate of Earth was nothing.

Surprisingly, Jiang Yuan kept up with Ji Rong’s pace, even speeding up slightly. He Chuan watched the time, staring at Ji Rong and Jiang Yuan in the lead, his face full of astonishment.

In reality, Jiang Yuan’s physical abilities were slightly inferior to Alphas, but due to the original owner’s hellish training, he could maintain a pace similar to his classmates.

His ability to keep up with Ji Rong was thanks to Alphonse’s help. Jiang Yuan constantly adjusted his breathing, coordinating it with his running speed. This prevented his body from quickly tiring due to oxygen deprivation. Good breathing techniques were also a way to regulate himself.

In the final moments, several students let out low growls, suddenly accelerating in an attempt to overtake Jiang Yuan. However, they failed.

Ji Rong and Jiang Yuan finished the twenty thousand meters almost simultaneously.

Those left far behind thought: These two… can they just graduate already? We don’t want to be their classmates! They’re not human!

Even He Chuan, who gave the order, couldn’t believe the time on the stopwatch. These two freshmen were ridiculously impressive. He was certain that even in the military, few could complete a twenty-thousand-meter run with such results.

After the run, He Chuan allowed a brief rest before starting the day’s lesson on hand-to-hand combat. Soon, everyone began pairing up for training.

Since the first combat class, no one in the class had been willing to pair with Jiang Yuan or Ji Rong. Previously, students from Class 2 and Class 3 had tried to regain face by fighting them, but after that…

When He Chuan gave the order, he noticed all the students quickly chose their partners, leaving only the two fastest runners without partners. The others walked right past them, not a single person choosing either of them.

If it were before, Jiang Yuan might have felt hurt, but now he could only say he was used to pairing with Ji Rong…

Their classmates didn’t include them in Star Wars games, and now they were excluded from combat class pairings, too.

Of course, only Jiang Yuan felt this resignation. Ji Rong was filled with joy!

The two practiced together a few times… until the last round when Jiang Yuan pinned Ji Rong down. Ji Rong raised his hands in surrender with a smile, and only then did Jiang Yuan stand up from atop him.

After their sparring session, Jiang Yuan’s body carried traces of Ji Rong’s pheromones. Jiang Yuan frowned slightly, but fortunately, Ji Rong had controlled it well. The scent wasn’t strong and would dissipate soon.

He Chuan observed Jiang Yuan and Ji Rong closely, then dismissed the class.

Afterward, He Chuan went directly to the principal’s office.

Principal Ike, who was wearing gold-rimmed glasses, smiled at He Chuan. “He Chuan, have you seen them?”

He Chuan nodded seriously, “I have. The Ji Rong you mentioned far surpasses those in special training in both physical qualities and stamina. There’s another impressive student in their class as well.”

Ike was surprised, “Another one?”

He Chuan continued, “His name is Jiang Yuan. I believe he should be given a chance, too. I’ve checked their mecha operation records in Star Wars since the term started. These two kids are incredibly gifted. No, to be precise… they’re geniuses! Though I was surprised to find Jiang Yuan is a Beta.”

Hearing Jiang Yuan’s name, Ike frowned slightly. He remembered Jiang Yuan, of course. Apart from an Omega admitted to the Mecha Department six years ago, only Alphas had been accepted in the past five years. This year was the first time they’d admitted non-Alpha students again.

He had recommended Ji Rong to He Chuan because he’d seen Ji Rong’s file… The son of the Undefeated War God would surely excel at mecha operations. But Jiang Yuan…

While Jiang Yuan’s entrance scores were good, could he really be called a genius?

As Ike pondered this, He Chuan said, “I’ll definitely borrow them, but I need to inform the others first.”

“Alright,” Ike nodded to He Chuan.

…

After class, as Jiang Yuan was about to head to the cafeteria with Ji Rong, he picked up his communicator and saw an unread message. His eyebrows rose.

Song Yirui?

Song Yirui sent a message to say he was waiting outside the school and wanted to talk face-to-face.

Jiang Yuan checked the time. Qiu Jingming’s heat should have ended by now.

Putting away his communicator, Jiang Yuan told his classmates, “I won’t be going to the cafeteria. Someone’s here to see me.”

“Who?” Ji Rong blurted out.

Jiang Yuan replied, “Song Yirui.”

Ji Rong raised an eyebrow, “He dares to come!”

Hearing Ji Rong’s angry tone, their classmates were instantly intrigued. Someone whispered curiously, “Who are you talking about?”

Jiang Yuan patted Ji Rong, saying, “I have questions for him too. We were in a rush that day, and I want to know what exactly happened.”

Ji Rong nodded, “I’ll come with you!”

Jiang Yuan: “No need. You go eat. I’ll be fine on my own.”

Ji Rong insisted, “I’m coming with you.”

Seeing Ji Rong’s determination, Jiang Yuan understood his concern. Truthfully, if not for feeling indignant on behalf of the original owner, Jiang Yuan wouldn’t even want to see Song Yirui.

Jiang Yuan walked quickly, with some classmates heading to the cafeteria while others, true to human nature, followed out of curiosity, pretending to have business near the gate. Among them were several of Jiang Yuan’s… fanboys.

These were purely admirers of Jiang Yuan’s abilities, without any romantic intentions. Previously, many had wanted to pursue Jiang Yuan, but they’d given up.

Firstly, because Jiang Yuan had a boyfriend, and secondly, pursuing Jiang Yuan was risky! The chances of being topped were too high! An Alpha being topped by a Beta – how embarrassing would that be? They’d never be able to show their faces in Alpha circles again.

At the school gate.

Song Yirui watched people coming and going, his heart pounding.

This was the First Military Academy… Jiang Yuan’s school.

The students passing by were tall, handsome, with understated power. Any random person here seemed more outstanding than him. He felt like an ugly duckling suddenly thrown into a flock of swans, the imposing school gates seeming to mock his insignificance.

With so many exceptional people here, he felt inferior standing among them.

He tried to make himself inconspicuous and stood in a corner by the gate.

Jiang Yuan and Ji Rong walked out, with others secretly following, pretending to have business near the gate, chatting in small groups while straining to eavesdrop!

Song Yirui watched Jiang Yuan approach in the sunlight, mesmerized after not seeing him for so long.

Jiang Yuan’s thin lips were pressed together. He seemed to have lost some weight, his features more defined. His tall, straight figure, slightly furrowed brows, and sharp, narrow eyes were striking. His hair was shorter, and his aura more intense.

Seeing Jiang Yuan like this, Song Yirui’s heart skipped a beat. Jiang Yuan was different now, but no matter how he looked, Song Yirui couldn’t take his eyes off him.

Song Yirui felt a bitterness in his mouth. That day when Jingming was in heat, he didn’t leave immediately. Now he had marked Jingming, who was pregnant. Whatever he thought now was pointless…

Once… this person had been his.

Song Yirui clutched his chest, also noticing Ji Rong who was walking alongside Jiang Yuan, observing him.

He had seen this man at the hotel that day. Wearing the same military uniform as Jiang Yuan, his white shirt collar slightly open, sleeves rolled up to mid-forearm revealing toned muscles, his handsome features like a work of art!

As the man approached with Jiang Yuan, Song Yirui felt an indescribable jealousy!

Yes.

He was jealous. What right did this man have to walk beside Jiang Yuan?

Jiang Yuan was supposed to be his…

Jiang Yuan spoke coolly, “You… speak.”

Song Yirui looked at Jiang Yuan. “Jiang Yuan, I’m sorry!”

Jiang Yuan nodded slightly. So he came to apologize, at least he had some conscience. As Jiang Yuan was thinking this, Song Yirui continued.

Song Yirui still wanted to explain that day’s events. Although Jiang Yuan already knew the cause and effect, he wanted to say it himself. “Jiang Yuan, that day when I went to your house to deliver lunch to Jingming, I really didn’t expect to encounter his heat. An Omega’s pheromones are like a deadly aphrodisiac to Alphas… I never intended… I always wanted to be with you… Can you forgive me? Forgive my mistakes…”

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  I know that this is an interstellar settings and there should not be Asia, but the raw does say Asian/of Asian descent, and I’m not sure how to translate that to fit the setting so I just opted to use this. If you have any suggestion to make it better, please let me know.