The classroom was noisy until Shen Li walked in. Immediately, the chatter died down. It wasn't just him—three tall figures followed soon after behind them, like shadows that drew every gaze.
Yu An trailed beside Shen Li, swinging his bag cheerfully.
Oh! Right, right. These must be the three male leads. The future obsessive maniacs who ruin the protagonist's peaceful life.
He tilted his head, watching them. Wow, they're even scarier in person. The novel said they were handsome, but I didn't know they'd look like gods who eat people for breakfast.
Yu An beamed anyway and waved at the class. "Hi, I'm Yu An! Shen Li's younger brother!" He puffed out his chest. "And I'm a strong and genius alpha!"
Silence. Then—coughs, choked laughter, and one kid dropping their pen.
Yu An blinked innocently. Huh? What's so funny? Did I say it wrong? I'm sure the book said alphas are strong. I'm strong! I can open pickle jars without help… usually.
---
The first to speak was Zhao Yichen. Black hair, dark eyes, tall and sharp like a blade.
Yu An's inner thoughts raced. Ah, Zhao Yichen. The "gentle villain." He pretends to be kind but is secretly scarier than goblin. In the novel, he always smiles when plotting evil. Better keep my distance.
Outwardly, Yu An grinned brightly. "Hello, I'm Yu An, Alpha extraordinary!"
Zhao Yichen's smile didn't falter. "An alpha, hm?" His eyes flickered with amusement, but his tone was smooth, almost kind. "Interesting."
---
Next was Lu Shixian. Silver hair, light green eyes, lounging in his seat like the world belonged to him.
Yu An thought, Ohhh, this must be the arrogant young master. Spoiled since birth, gets whatever he wants, manipulative, possessive… The type I should never, ever provoke.
Then Lu Shixian leaned forward, smirking. "So you're the Shen family's adopted son? Do you really think you're an alpha?"
Yu An slapped his chest proudly. "Of course! Look at me, tall, strong, reliable!"
The class burst into laughter.
Yu An blinked again. …Wait. Did I say something stupid again? No, I sounded cool. Definitely cool.
Lu Shixian chuckled lowly, eyes gleaming. "Confident, aren't you? I like that."
---
Finally, there was Chen Jinhai. Quiet, still, but his brown eyes carried weight that made Yu An's stomach twist.
Oh no, this one's the scariest, Yu An panicked inwardly. In the novel, he never spoke much, but he always controlled everything from the shadows. The mastermind type. If I breathe wrong, he'll notice…
Chen Jinhai studied him carefully. "You're sixteen, correct? Younger than Shen Li."
Yu An nodded eagerly. "Mm! But don't underestimate me. I'll protect my brother!"
The class laughed again. Even Shen Li's lips curved into a smile.
Inside, Yu An thought proudly, See? Cool line ,nailed it. I sound reliable.
Meanwhile, Chen Jinhai's eyes darkened, as if memorizing Yu An's every word.
---
The three alphas exchanged glances, silent but dangerous. Yu An didn't notice, he was happily unpacking his notebook.
Phew. First meeting complete. They all seem… kinda nice? The novel must have exaggerated a bit. Heh, maybe this won't be so bad after all.
He doodled a stick figure on his paper, humming. Beside him, Zhao Yichen glanced over, smirking. Lu Shixian leaned closer, snatched the notebook, and raised it high.
"What's this? A stick figure? You call this studying?"
"Hey! Give it back!" Yu An jumped.
Lu Shixian smirked. "Say 'Alpha Yu An is the strongest,' and I'll return it."
Yu An raised his chin proudly. "Alpha Yu An is the strongest!"
The class roared with laughter.
See? Totally strong. I handled that like a pro, Yu An thought proudly.
Beside him, Shen Li's hand closed tightly over Yu An's wrist. His smile was gentle, but his grip was possessive, almost painful.
"Don't worry," Shen Li murmured sweetly. "I won't let them bully you."
Yu An blinked, confused. Brother is so nice… but why does it feel like he's about to snap my wrist?
Meanwhile, Zhao Yichen, Lu Shixian, and Chen Jinhai all watched silently—amusement, curiosity, and something darker flickering in their gazes.
What was supposed to be Shen Li's story was already shifting.
And Yu An, dumb as he was, had no idea that he is changing the plot.