Straight Man Gets Reincarnated into an ABO Novel and Ends Up with His Rival - Chapter 24

A new post exploded on A University’s student forum:

#Breaking! Rumor has it the Finance Department’s “Untouchable Flower” was spotted with his rumored spouse marriage rumors confirmed?!#

The thread shot up in minutes.

[OP]: Guys, coordinate the third floor of Xiangmantang Cafeteria. Pics or it didn’t happen! [photo][photo][photo]

The photos were a bit blurry, clearly taken on the sly, but even then, the sharp outlines of the two men’s profiles were unmistakable.

[User1]: Damn, for real? The campus god actually has a wife?!
[User2]: Wait, back up. Since when does he have a wife? What did I miss??
[User3]: Link for context  “The Untouchable Flower: A History.”

The post went on:

Back in freshman year, “The Untouchable Flower” wasn’t always so untouchable. He used to be an invisible nobody with shaggy bangs, thick black-rimmed glasses, the kind of guy you’d forget after one glance.

According to his old roommates, he came from a modest family, always working part-time, barely socializing.

Apparently, his favorite pastime was watching borderline NSFW livestreams. Sometimes, he’d rather eat plain buns for dinner just so he could afford to send expensive “rockets” to his favorite streamer.

Then, after one summer break, that plain-looking nobody returned as a strikingly handsome top student. Rumor has it that a pretty freshman confessed to him, only for him to coldly reject her with a bombshell statement: “I’m already married.”

The girl, thinking he had made up a lie just to turn her down, left heartbroken.

After that, the aloof, impossibly beautiful scholar was dubbed The Untouchable Flower, admired from afar, never to be touched.

[Attached photo: Freshman-year Untouchable Flower]
[Chat screenshot: anonymous roommate source]

[User4]: Lies! There’s no way the campus god watches borderline streamers!
[User5]: Exactly. And how do you even know that’s his wife?
[User6]: Hold up, maybe he never got married at all!
[User7]: I’m literally at Xiangmanlou right now. Just saw them! Same phones, matching phone cases, a cat, and a dog!
[User8]: Matching? Please. Maybe they’re just friends. And since when do cat-and-dog cases mean couple merch? Ever heard of the species barrier?!
[User9]: Then what about the coat? That guy was wearing the same black trench coat I saw the campus god in last week!
[User10]: He didn’t look like an Omega to me. Maybe they’re just bros guys borrow clothes all the time.
[User11]: I saw them too! That other guy’s hot, and kinda familiar…
[User12]: Same, they walked into the cafeteria together. If I didn’t have class later, I would’ve stayed to watch the drama unfold!
[User13]: Bookmarking this post. Someone tag me for updates!
[User14]: Don’t care what’s real, I’m shipping them already!
[User15]: You shippers are dangerous… though I’m shipping too 😏
[User16]: So shippable! +N

Meanwhile, Wang Bu Po was sitting in A University’s cafeteria, soaking in a nostalgic sense of “returning to school.”

He’d dropped out after high school, studying was never his thing, and his dad, Wang Fugui, never pushed him. He’d always been content as a rich second-generation layabout.

It was already past lunch rush, so the cafeteria was quiet. They found a cozy corner by the window.

A few minutes later, a group of girls sat at a couple of tables away. They were eating while staring at their phones, occasionally giggling like they’d just seen something scandalous.

“I feel like someone’s watching us,” Wang Bu Po muttered, glancing around. Everyone seemed normal, some eating, some queuing. He shrugged and went back to eating.

Fu Jing didn’t even look up. He picked up a piece of meat and placed it in Wang Bu Po’s bowl. “Eat. Stop looking around.”

A few moments later, two trays clattered onto the table beside them, followed by a soft, cheerful voice.

“Senior Fu Jing, can we sit here?”

It was Feng Qingqing, and beside her was a boy who looked exactly like her, likely her twin. Both were delicate and attractive, though the boy’s demeanor was gentler.

Wang Bu Po blinked in surprise. He swallowed a mouthful of food, wiped the oil from his lips, and grinned.

“Oh, it’s you! Sure, sit, sit, it’s a cafeteria, not my house.”

“I remember you,” Feng Qingqing said with a polite smile. “You’re Senior Fu Jing’s cousin, right?”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but just loud enough for the nearby gossip-hungry students to hear.

“Uh—” Wang Bu Po froze. He’d called himself Fu Jing’s cousin as a joke once. Before he could explain.

“Last time I didn’t introduce myself,” she continued gracefully. “I’m Feng Qingqing, and this is my twin brother, Feng Chengcheng.”

Feng Chengcheng gave a well-mannered nod and a small, obedient smile.

The twins sat down  Qingqing beside Fu Jing, Chengcheng beside Wang Bu Po.

“Right, Cousin, your name was… Wang…?” Feng Qingqing tilted her head thoughtfully, eyes glinting playfully.

“Wang Bu Po,” he replied with a grin. “Wang as in King, Bu as in Not, Po as in Urgent. But actually.”

“Senior,” Qingqing interrupted gently, turning to Fu Jing, “about the startup competition’s publicity proposal, I still have a few questions. Could I ask you?”

Fu Jing’s brow creased slightly. “I don’t like discussing academic matters during meals.”

Then he set his chopsticks down and said to Wang Bu Po, “Done eating? Let’s go.”

“Huh?” Wang Bu Po blinked, still chewing, before realizing Fu Jing was already getting up with his tray.

Though part of him wanted to chat more with the pretty girl, instinct kicked in faster than thought. He shoveled one last bite of meat into his mouth, grabbed a few napkins, and hurried after Fu Jing.

The gossipers watched them leave, sighing in disappointment before turning back to their phones.

Soon, new comments appeared on the forum thread:

[User17]: Update! They’re brothers!
[User18]: Confirmed! Heard it myself! The Feng twins know that guy  Feng Qingqing even said he’s Fu Jing’s cousin!
[User19]: Wait, which Feng family? The one from Feng Pharmaceuticals? The twin S-rank prodigies from freshman year?!
[User20]: Yeah, Qingqing’s also in Finance, same department as the campus god. No surprise they know each other; she probably introduced him to the art school guy.
[User21]: Damn, three geniuses and three faces of the campus, all in one table?!
[User22]: So they’re real brothers?
[User23]: Cousins!
[User24]: Makes sense. They don’t even look alike.
[User25]: Think Qingqing and the campus god might have a spark? 👀
[User26]: Don’t say that too loud, or the Feng family’s lawyers will eat you alive (lol).
[User27]: Ha! Knew it. The Untouchable Flower’s still single. Bros being close is totally normal.

Once Fu Jing and Wang Bu Po were gone, the gossipers lost interest.

Soon after, the original post mysteriously vanished, flagged, and removed for “spreading rumors and violating image rights.”

Watching the two leave, Feng Qingqing’s sweet, harmless smile faded. Her eyes turned sharp.

Feng Chengcheng smirked faintly. “So that’s your new target? A fake high-and-mighty poor boy?”

“If someone like that could look at me with submission in his eyes…” Qingqing’s lips curved into a teasing smile. “Wouldn’t that be amusing? But you.”

She turned to her mirror image, same face, same secondary gender, and said with a pointed edge,

“Three years, and you’re still obsessed with that target who lost his pheromone sense? What a waste of those perfect S+ genes.”

Feng Chengcheng wasn’t surprised. He’d long grown used to her twisted nature. “If I were like you, I’d need therapy.”

He brushed imaginary dust off his manicured nails, then blew on them lightly. “Not that it matters. We’re both just tools to be traded off anyway. Might as well have some fun before that.”

At the mention of that woman, his tone stayed even, but his eyes darkened with deep disgust.

“I have my own plans,” he said impatiently. “And if you only asked me here to show off your new target, I’ve seen enough. I’m leaving.”

Neither of them touched their food. Feng Chengcheng picked up his tray and turned to go.

“I heard about a new drug, one that might help restore pheromone sensitivity. You want it?” Qingqing called after him.

He stopped for a moment, turned his head slightly, and replied in a low, cold voice meant only for her ears:

“I don’t care what you do. But stay out of my business.”

Then he walked away, leaving her alone in the noisy cafeteria, smiling, yet utterly emotionless.