After Attending School A, I Differentiated into an Omega - Chapter 18.2

Just as Qin Fengyue reached out her hand, her fingers were taken into a slightly cool palm.

Jiang Zhao held Qin Fengyue’s hand, closing her fingers and taking the smaller hand into her palm.

Qin Fengyue let out an ‘Eh’. “Did you warm up?”

“No need.”

Qin Fengyue pulled back at Jiang Zhao. She struggled a bit but couldn’t pull her hand free. “…What are you doing?”

Jiang Zhao’s expression was rare in its innocence. “What’s wrong?”

Qin Fengyue lifted their joined hands in front of her face. “Am I teaching you, or are you teaching me?”

Jiang Zhao seemed to laugh; it was a short-lived smile. She let go and then placed her hand into Qin Fengyue’s palm. The Alpha yielded the dominant role and flattered her: “I’ll leave it to you, Teacher Qin.”

Qin Fengyue: “…”

“What’s wrong, Teacher Qin? Your ears are so red,” Jiang Zhao said.

“You f—” Qin Fengyue’s ears were burning. She lowered her voice. “That’s enough.”

A bunch of Alphas and Omegas took a break, leaning against the railing to watch Qin Fengyue’s “teaching.”

Jiang Zhao acted as if she really didn’t know anything, being led into the center of the rink by Qin Fengyue. Her gaze was either fixed on her feet or settled on Qin Fengyue.

The Sports Rep downed a bottle of water. Standing with Chu Yang, he looked in confusion at the nearby Omegas who were blushing and taking photos of Jiang Zhao and Qin Fengyue.

Chu Yang suddenly asked: “Does Jiang Zhao really not know how?”

The Sports Rep gave an ‘Ah’. “Didn’t she say she doesn’t?”

“You believe that?”

“You don’t?”

Chu Yang was speechless: “…Maybe I’m overthinking it.”

Qin Fengyue faced Jiang Zhao and told her to place both hands lightly in her palms. “Look at me. Just glide forward, lean your center of gravity forward, and don’t be afraid. If you fall, I’ll be your meat cushion.”

Jiang Zhao looked directly at Qin Fengyue. With a push of her feet, she moved toward Qin Fengyue.

Qin Fengyue faced her and skated backward at the same speed. After glancing at Jiang Zhao’s feet, Qin Fengyue looked up. If she couldn’t feel that Jiang Zhao was truly a bit stiff, she really wouldn’t believe this person didn’t know how to skate.

Qin Fengyue: “How does it feel?”

Fingerpads pressed against a soft, fitting palm; the point of contact was sweating slightly, a bit slippery, making one want to grip firmly and wrap tightly. Jiang Zhao’s lips moved. “It’s alright.”

Qin Fengyue smiled. “Then I’ll slowly let go of you. You glide forward a bit first—”

Qin Fengyue skated back. In an instant, like a kite with a broken string, she was about to slip away from Jiang Zhao’s hands.

Jiang Zhao lunged forward, grabbing the hands that hadn’t had time to be withdrawn.

Qin Fengyue blinked. “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Zhao held Qin Fengyue’s hands and said, “I’m afraid.”

“Pfft—Hahahaha!”

Qin Fengyue: “Are you serious?”

Jiang Zhao: “Really.”

Qin Fengyue couldn’t stop laughing.

The corners of Jiang Zhao’s mouth also curved up slightly. As she smiled, her eyes turned dark and deep. In a moment when Qin Fengyue was relaxed, Jiang Zhao suddenly moved forward.

A burst of screams.

The world spun. Qin Fengyue only realized after the fact that she really had acted as a meat cushion.

It was several middle schoolers skating hand-in-hand; one leading the next, they skated faster and faster until they couldn’t stop and crashed straight into Qin Fengyue and Jiang Zhao.

It wasn’t just Qin Fengyue and Jiang Zhao who were affected; the whole area was filled with the wails of people falling.

Qin Fengyue’s first realization was that it didn’t hurt much, and then she realized the back of her head was resting on Jiang Zhao’s hand.

“…”

Jiang Zhao sat with her knees apart on either side of Qin Fengyue, her upper body suspended in the air. Her face was pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

“Holy crap,” Qin Fengyue lifted her head. “Are you okay? Get your hand out quickly.”

Jiang Zhao sat up, a deeper emotion surging in her eyes.

Her right hand had gone numb from the pressure. Staff at the rink ran over to disperse the crowd and provide emergency treatment to the injured.

Fortunately, they were all minor injuries. Those middle schoolers were terrified and obediently apologized to everyone one by one.

“Can you move it?” Qin Fengyue asked. “Do we need to go to the hospital for an X-ray?”

Jiang Zhao shook her head. “It’s fine now.”

Qin Fengyue saw that Jiang Zhao’s face was white from pain, and her eyes looked dangerous.

She rubbed her nose and said, “I’m sorry.”

Jiang Zhao looked up, the coldness in her eyes seemingly intensifying. “What are you apologizing for?”

Qin Fengyue shivered: “…I said I’d protect you, but I didn’t expect to be saved by you again.”

Jiang Zhao didn’t speak. After a pause, she pulled a suppressant out of her pants and gave it to Qin Fengyue.

“Spray it.”

After exercising and sweating, pheromones might leak out.

So her face looked that bad not because of the pain, but because we were too close just now and our pheromones repelled each other?

After Qin Fengyue used it, she handed the suppressant back to Jiang Zhao, taking care not to touch a single corner of Jiang Zhao’s clothes.

Jiang Zhao stood up and offered her left hand to Qin Fengyue. “Let’s go back.”

Qin Fengyue: “?”

Qin Fengyue led Jiang Zhao back to the railing. Several people surrounded them. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Qin Fengyue said, naturally letting go of Jiang Zhao’s hand.

Jiang Zhao massaged her palm, looking thoughtful.

Chu Yang scratched his head. After the incident, no one was in the mood to keep playing.

Chu Yang: “It’s almost six. Let’s eat and go back to school.”

Qin Fengyue rubbed her neck, thinking of those pitiful exam papers of hers.

After returning the gear and skates, everyone left the rink. After playing for an afternoon, their bond had improved quite a bit.

Some people were busy packing to go back to school and left first.

The rest discussed going for BBQ and picked a nearby spot at random.

The Sports Rep: “Can we drink?”

Someone unceremoniously retorted: “Drink my ass. We have to go back to school tonight, do you want to die?”

The Sports Rep glanced at Qin Fengyue and said, “Drink my ass.”

Qin Fengyue: “…”

Chu Yang asked the BBQ shop owner to push two tables together and invited everyone to sit. After Qin Fengyue and the Sports Rep ordered, she went to take a call.

When she came back, the Alphas and Omegas had already sat together spontaneously. Qin Fengyue went to Chu Yang’s side first, and then she saw Jiang Zhao sitting alone on one side opposite.

Another Omega had gone to the restroom first; she was also alone when she came back. Qin Fengyue’s eyes darted around and she said, “Why don’t you sit next to Jiang Zhao?”

The Omega was a young girl. Her face turned red at first as she moved toward Jiang Zhao’s stool, but her red face quickly turned pale.

When she noticed that Jiang Zhao’s expression wasn’t very pleasant, the Omega’s surprise turned into panic.

The people at the table looked at each other.

Chu Yang: “…”

Qin Fengyue: “…”

“Come to my spot,” Qin Fengyue gave her seat to the Omega and walked to Jiang Zhao’s side. She joked to ease the atmosphere: “Don’t be afraid, Alphas all have this stinky attitude—tsundere and face-loving.”

The ‘stinky attitude’ Alpha Jiang Zhao gave a smile and said to the Omega, “Sorry, I was just thinking about something.”

Jiang Zhao looked at Qin Fengyue with an expression of surprise. “Sit.”

Qin Fengyue: “…”

Ah… so damn hard to please.

The one thing you can’t avoid while eating BBQ is chatting.

The Sports Rep was a real chatterbox. Halfway through, he even called Jiang Da.

“I really envy you guys…”

Jiang Da added a stool in the corner, looking dejected. “You guys have been playing for half the day, and then there’s me—I’ve been in cram school all day.”

Sports Rep: “All those cram school classes and you’re still at the bottom of the rankings.”

Jiang Da looked dejected: “…”

His grades weren’t actually bad, but they weren’t much to look at in the talented Class 2.

Bai Xue, Qin Fengyue, and Jiang Zhao all voluntarily chose the bottom seats in the class; only he was there because he was left with what others didn’t want. Sitting among the scholars, the pressure was too great.

Jiang Da sighed and scanned the table. Everyone was in pairs except for him, a lonely soul. “Moon, the little Monitor didn’t come?”

Qin Fengyue was picking out potatoes to eat. Hearing this: “No, the little Monitor is also in cram school.”

Jiang Da was likely very stimulated. “I want to add her on WeChat…”

Qin Fengyue directly pushed the little Monitor’s WeChat to Jiang Da.

At this time, Xun Ran, who had been low-key for a long time, suddenly said with a smile: “Moon, is it convenient to add your WeChat?”

Jiang Da froze and glanced at Xun Ran.

“Is it not okay to call you that?” Xun Ran smiled. “I see Chu Yang calls you that.”

Chu Yang was drinking water and choked on several gulps when he heard that.

Qin Fengyue smiled: “Sure.”

Xun Ran got the WeChat and looked at Qin Fengyue several times with a red face.

The atmosphere suddenly became ambiguous; an Alpha let out a suggestive whistle.

Qin Fengyue put her phone away and was about to speak, but when she looked down, her mouth couldn’t help but twitch. “Where are my potatoes?”

“Ate them,” Jiang Zhao said flatly, her chopsticks taking the last piece of potato from the iron skewer.

Qin Fengyue held her chopsticks up to snatch it.

Jiang Zhao dodged away from Qin Fengyue. She held her chopsticks high, in a spot Qin Fengyue couldn’t reach.

Qin Fengyue felt like she was being stared at by Jiang Zhao for two seconds, and then she saw the Alpha feed the grilled potato into her mouth.

Qin Fengyue: “…That was the last piece.”

The whole table burst into laughter.

“Dammit, Jiang Zhao, you’d do something that ‘dog’ (petty) too?”

Xun Ran clutched her phone, looking at Jiang Zhao and Qin Fengyue, her palms sweating.

The threads of ambiguity arising from the WeChat incident seemed to be brushed aside just like that. Everyone started chatting and joking again.

Qin Fengyue got up to go to the restroom. While she was washing her hands, Jiang Zhao also came in.

Jiang Zhao didn’t even look at Qin Fengyue, walking straight to the stall behind the wall.

“…”

Jiang Zhao came out to wash her hands and was clearly surprised to see Qin Fengyue. “Haven’t left yet?”

Qin Fengyue: “I’m waiting for you.”

Jiang Zhao gave an ‘mm’ and moved from the sink next to Qin Fengyue to another one on the right.

Qin Fengyue looked at Jiang Zhao. “Why are you standing so far away?”

Jiang Zhao glanced at her sideways.

Qin Fengyue: “Does my body really smell that bad?”

Jiang Zhao’s movement of rubbing the soap slowed down.

Qin Fengyue: “It’s fine, isn’t it? Why can’t I smell anything on you?”

“Want to smell?”

“…Huh?”

Jiang Zhao opened the faucet. The water gushed out. She said flatly, “Want to smell?”

Qin Fengyue: “…………”

“You f—, couldn’t be tiao… are you provoking me?”

Jiang Zhao shut her mouth, looking speechless and disappointed.

Qin Fengyue: “…”

Jiang Zhao finished washing her hands, wiped them dry carefully, and walked out from behind the wall. Qin Fengyue was waiting outside, scratching her neck repeatedly.

Faint marks were all over the gland; Qin Fengyue was a bit irritable.

“You’re out?”

Jiang Zhao gave an ‘mm’, looking at Qin Fengyue.

Qin Fengyue looked back. “What’s wrong?”

The two walked out side-by-side. Jiang Zhao’s thin lips moved slightly.

The crowd in the BBQ shop increased. A waiter carrying a stack of bowls came rushing by, almost crashing into Jiang Zhao.

“Careful,” Qin Fengyue blocked the person first, standing in front of Jiang Zhao and steadying the waiter.

Jiang Zhao’s expression became even sourer.

Qin Fengyue glanced at her and said, “What’s up with you? You’ve been giving Omegas a cold shoulder all day.”

Jiang Zhao: “I’m naturally immune to Omega pheromones.”

“…”

It was too sudden; Qin Fengyue thought she had misheard.

“What?”

Jiang Zhao: “Something from when I was little. I don’t like Omegas. Being near them just makes me feel uncomfortable.”

Qin Fengyue: “……………..”

I— Holy crap.

The BBQ shop was noisy. Outside the restroom, the sound of the stove’s exhaust fan was as loud as a gale.

The surroundings were sweaty and restless. Honestly, it wasn’t a suitable environment for heart-to-heart talks or sharing deep secrets, yet Jiang Zhao had blurted out a secret just like that.

Qin Fengyue was rarely at a loss for words. “Dam— Dammit, you could have at least given me some mental preparation!”

Jiang Zhao: “I was afraid you’d get addicted to being a matchmaker.”

Qin Fengyue felt a bit embarrassed. “It’s such a secret, and you could tell?”

Jiang Zhao gave an ‘mm’. “So don’t waste your effort.”

Qin Fengyue pressed: “Then are you never going to date or get married?”

Jiang Zhao’s gaze held deep meaning, like the dark blue floating in the deep sea.

Qin Fengyue felt spooked by her gaze. Those ambiguous snippets of conversation surged into her mind. She gave a dry laugh: “…You— You can’t possibly date an Alpha, right? Ha, haha. AA pheromones repel each other. In bed, it wouldn’t be ‘immortals fighting’ (great sex), it would be a real fight!”

Time slowed down. It might have been a second, but it felt as long as a minute.

Jiang Zhao sighed: “Qin Fengyue, what are you thinking? You haven’t been at Alpha High for long, but have you already forgotten that creatures like Betas exist?”

Like a swollen balloon being pricked, Qin Fengyue let out a long sigh of relief. There was another emotion lurking deep in her heart, but before she could ponder it, Jiang Zhao interrupted.

Jiang Zhao: “You should worry about yourself first.”

“Little Moon, you’re about to differentiate.”