In the provincial library of A City.

Golden sunlight streamed through the enormous glass windows, casting a warm glow over the row of desks closest to them. The seats were all occupied, some engrossed in books, some scribbling notes, others fixated on their laptops, each person quietly lost in their world.

All except for one young man sitting at the end of a long table.

His phone, long since gone dark, rested idly in front of him, yet his attention was nowhere near the screen. Instead, he propped his chin on one hand, his gaze fixed on the boy sitting across from him.

The boy had an open book in front of him. His right hand held a pen, his left pressing down on the raised center of a thick textbook. He was concentrating on carefully writing out the answer to a problem.

The soft scratching of pen against paper filled the air, a quiet, rhythmic sound.

With nothing better to do, the man’s gaze wandered over the half-solved equation on the page.

The boy’s handwriting was strikingly neat and clean, precise, flowing as smoothly as a stream.

The man's gaze slowly traveled upward, following the boy’s hand gripping the pen, tracing along his arm, until it finally settled on his face. The boy had his head slightly lowered, his long, lowered lashes casting faint shadows over his dark eyes. From the man's angle, all he could see was a head of thick black hair and a well-defined, straight nose.

Of course, there was also the pair of black-framed glasses resting on that nose.

But the man considered himself someone with a keen eye for beauty. Even through those heavy frames, he could still appreciate the boy’s well-proportioned features, one of the reasons he had asked him out again.

The only thing that truly irked him was that, despite his blatantly direct gaze, the boy remained completely oblivious. He hadn’t noticed in the slightest, nor had he spared even a single glance to meet his eyes.

It was as if, in the boy’s world, he was nothing more than an invisible man.

No.

This wasn’t a date at all! This guy was just here to do his homework!

At that realization, the man felt a surge of frustration. Enough was enough. He tapped his fingers against the table between them, twice, with deliberate insistence.

The boy, still immersed in his sea of equations, kept writing, the soft scratch of his pen continuing uninterrupted. It wasn’t until ten seconds later, after finishing the last stroke of a complex problem, that he finally lifted his gaze.

Compared to the man, who was clearly in his mid-to-late twenties, the boy was noticeably younger. His facial features had begun to sharpen, his presence had gained a quiet maturity, yet there was still a trace of youthful innocence lingering in his brows and eyes, the unmistakable aura of a student who had yet to step into the real world.

The boy didn’t speak but looked at the man with a questioning gaze.

The man held back his impatience and said, “I’m hungry. Want to go out for a meal?”

The boy took out his phone to check the time, hesitated for a moment, then nodded and began packing up his things.

Watching his reaction, the man felt a surge of heat rise to his head, an inexplicable fire welling up from his chest, almost impossible to suppress.

The two took the elevator down, passed through security, and arrived at the entrance. Just as they were about to step outside, the boy suddenly stopped, turned to the man, and said, “Mr. Zhao, can you wait for me a moment?”

Zhao Zhuo’s face remained tense, his gaze dark and unreadable. “What now?”

The boy acted as if he didn’t notice Zhao Zhuo’s increasingly dark expression and calmly explained, “I still have to come back this afternoon. Carrying all these books outside would be inconvenient, so I want to store them in the library’s lockers.”

“…” Zhao Zhuo was momentarily speechless, his eyes filling with deep incredulity. “You’re coming back this afternoon? For what?”

“To continue studying,” the boy replied. “Our midterms are coming up. I need to make good use of my time.”

Zhao Zhuo couldn’t hold it in anymore. Forgetting that they were standing at the library entrance where people were constantly passing by, he pointed at the boy in exasperation.

“Xu Zihui, you little-! I sat in that library with you the whole morning, and this is how you treat me?! I canceled my business meetings today just to go on a date with you, and what did I get? Sitting there like an idiot, watching you study! Don’t you feel even a little guilty?!”

Zhao Zhuo’s voice wasn’t quiet at all, instantly drawing the attention of everyone nearby. Curious gazes swept back and forth between the two of them.

An Alpha and an Omega arguing at the entrance of the library, it undeniably looked like a couple in the middle of a lover’s quarrel.

Except… the Omega seemed on the verge of losing his temper, while the Alpha remained utterly indifferent, staring down at the ground as if he hadn’t just been yelled at.

This Alpha is way too coldhearted.

The Omega is already this upset. Can’t he at least say something to soothe him?

The bystanders thought to themselves, but no one dared to step in and meddle in a couple’s dispute.

The boy’s face was red too, the blush creeping all the way to the tips of his ears. It was pure embarrassment, he didn’t even dare to look Zhao Zhuo in the face as he stammered out an apology, “I’m sorry.”

Zhao Zhuo barely managed to rein in his emotions, staring at the boy intently. “Xu Zihui, this is your last chance. Either you come on a date with me this afternoon, or you come back here to study. Make your choice.”

The boy lowered his head even further and murmured softly, “I want to come back to study.”

“Great. Just great.” Zhao Zhuo let out a short, incredulous laugh, stepping back two paces. “Since you have no interest in me, I won’t keep clinging to you. That’s that, then.”

After speaking, Zhao Zhuo turned around and strode out of the library’s main entrance.

Although the spectacle had come to an end, the audience remained. Some people lingering at the entrance cast subtle glances in the alpha’s direction, wondering if he would chase after him.

However, the outcome disappointed them.

The alpha merely stood still for a moment, seemingly in a daze, before tightening his grip on the books in his arms and turning around. Without hesitation, he passed through the security checkpoint and headed straight for the library’s elevator.

Jiang Xu followed his original plan and stayed at the library until 6 p.m. before taking the bus back to school.

Today, it’s Saturday, and traffic is heavy. What was usually a trip of less than an hour was dragged out to an hour and a half. The October weather hadn’t completely cooled down yet, and pedestrians outside the bus windows were still dressed in light clothing.

Looking into the distance, I saw towering skyscrapers standing against the fiery red sunset, creating a scene both beautiful and magnificent.

This was a strange city.

To Jiang Xu, everywhere felt unfamiliar.

He had been in this book’s world for two months now, but he still hadn’t fully adapted. Before, he had been able to keep his emotions in check, but this afternoon was different. He only managed to finish half of his practice questions, his mind completely occupied with thoughts of Zhao Zhuo.

The bus arrived at the stop just as the sky hovered between dusk and darkness. The No.1 Alpha High School of A City was located near the bus stop.

Since it was the weekend, many students had gone home. The school gates were only half-open, with just a few students coming and going. In the security room sat a Beta middle-aged man, who, recognizing the students passing through, didn’t require them to sign in.

Jiang Xu carried his books back to the dormitory. He entered the passcode into the smart lock and, upon hearing a soft beep, pushed the door open.

The dormitory was already lit. Under the warm yellow glow of the lights, a boy sat sprawled out on a chair. He wore a loose white T-shirt and light-colored ripped jeans. His legs were spread apart in a lazy posture, and he held his phone horizontally in both hands, completely engrossed in whatever he was watching.

Jiang Xu closed the door behind him.

The boy had both ears plugged with earbuds. Whether the volume was too loud or he was simply too absorbed in what he was watching, he didn’t even notice the sound of Jiang Xu entering and closing the door.

It wasn’t until Jiang Xu walked behind him, placed his books on the desk, and started tidying up that the boy finally sensed something. He glanced back and immediately removed his earbuds.

“You’re back?” The boy placed his earbuds and phone on the desk, then got up and casually draped an arm over Jiang Xu’s shoulder. He couldn’t wait to ask, “So? Did you finally ditch that Zhao Zhuo? He’s not planning to ask you out a third time, is he?”

Jiang Xu moved quickly, tidying up his desk in just a few moments. Then, he removed the boy’s hand from his shoulder, turned around, and met his gaze.

That unfortunate background character was none other than Jiang Xu himself.

Yes, in the original story, he was the oblivious, unlucky roommate, the one who somehow never noticed the flirtatious back-and-forth, the push-and-pull dynamics between the two main characters. Worse yet, he even ended up being their unwitting wingman, helping their relationship progress without realizing it.

Jiang Xu had already read through the entire book before transmigrating here. He knew exactly how this story would unfold, and he knew his role in it: nothing more than a background character, a tool to further the romance between the true protagonists.

“Jiang Xu is sleeping on the bed opposite. Do you want him to hear you making such a loud noise?”

“Jiang Xu will be back soon. Do you think he’ll be angry if he sees us doing this in his seat?”

“Does Jiang Xu know how much fun we’re having in the dormitory?”

Jiang Xu: “…”

He felt a deep sense of suffering.

Maybe he should never have been named “Jiang Xu” in the first place…

No, he should never have made the mistake of opening that book.

Collecting his thoughts, Jiang Xu raised his hand to adjust the glasses on his nose and said in an even tone, "Zhao Zhuo won't come looking for me again. But he was very angry when he left, I don't know if he'll go back and complain."

"You’re amazing!" Xu Zihui praised him without hesitation, patting his chest. "Don't worry, even if he complains, it won’t cost me a piece of flesh. As long as we got rid of him, that’s all that matters."

Jiang Xu hummed in acknowledgment, looking rather absent-minded.

"How did you get rid of him? Just sat in the library all day?"

"Yeah."

Xu Zihui burst into laughter, slapping his thigh before giving a big thumbs-up. "I knew you could do it! See? I was right! When it comes to sitting still, no one can beat you. If you don't make money off this, who will?"

After laughing, he grabbed his phone and held it up in front of Jiang Xu, preparing to transfer the money right in front of him.

However, the screen was still paused on a certain video frame, two unclothed men tangled together, locked in a heated embrace. Their bodies were intimately connected, and the stark white skin stood out vividly against the deep red bedsheet. Judging by their physiques, one was an alpha and the other an omega.

Jiang Xu: "…"

Xu Zihui: "…"

Jiang Xu remained expressionless. To be precise, his personality fit the role of the "background roommate" perfectly. All his emotions were buried beneath his black-framed glasses and his perpetually blank face, making it difficult for others to perceive what he was feeling.

Xu Zihui also looked a bit awkward. He quickly switched the video to the background and let out a dry laugh. "We're both alphas. You get it, right?"

Jiang Xu nodded. "I get it."

Xu Zihui waggled his brows and asked, "I have dozens of them in my cloud drive- all AO, all kinds of genres. Want some?"

Jiang Xu refused without a change in expression. "I just want my payment."

Xu Zihui: "…"

Jiang Xu took out his phone and only spoke after confirming he had received the transfer. "Xu Zihui, don't ask me to do this again in the future. I don’t want to do it anymore