After Attending School A, I Differentiated into an Omega - Chapter 9

The dinner lasted until nearly midnight. By the end, Qin Fengyue hadn’t drunk much, so she took charge of calling cars for the group of Omegas and Alphas.

Eventually, only Qin Fengyue and Wang Xiao were left at the restaurant entrance.

Qin Fengyue was using her phone to call a designated driver.

Wang Xiao walked over, reeking of alcohol. “I… I’ll send you back to school?”

As soon as Wang Xiao drew near, Qin Fengyue smelled the pungent Alpha pheromones. She pushed Wang Xiao away impatiently. “Look at the sky, it’s pitch black. The school gates are already locked!”

“Then come to a hotel with me?” Wang Xiao took the opportunity to lean her soft body against Qin Fengyue.

Qin Fengyue shoved Wang Xiao away, her face flushed with a hint of alcohol. “Don’t get so close.”

Wang Xiao was drunker than Qin Fengyue, swaying as she said, “You’re drunk…”

Qin Fengyue smacked her lips. “I’m not drunk, you’ve had too much. Let’s call a driver for you first, and I’ll call a car for myself later.”

Wang Xiao insisted on sending her, but Qin Fengyue refused. The two of them pushed and pulled at the restaurant entrance. Losing her temper, Qin Fengyue grabbed Wang Xiao’s collar, making a gesture as if she were going to punch her.

“Hello, I’m the designated driver.”

So fast?

Qin Fengyue turned her head dazed, looking toward the restaurant steps along with Wang Xiao.

Qin Fengyue: “…”

Jiang Zhao fished a work ID out of her pants pocket, hung it around her neck, and looked at Qin Fengyue. “Who called the driver?”

Qin Fengyue froze and let go of Wang Xiao’s collar. “…Me. Please take her home.”

Jiang Zhao nodded, stuffed Wang Xiao into the back seat, fished the keys off Wang Xiao’s person, and went to the driver’s seat.

Qin Fengyue gave Jiang Zhao the address and prepared to watch the car drive off.

Jiang Zhao propped herself against the driver’s door and waited for a long while. After making eye contact with the slow-witted Qin Fengyue for over a minute, she opened her lips and said, “Get in.”

Qin Fengyue realized belatedly: “I’ll just call a cab in a bit…”

Wang Xiao, who was lying face down in the back, suddenly rolled over and mumbled, “Little Moon, I’ll… send you!”

Jiang Zhao looked at Qin Fengyue.

Qin Fengyue rubbed the tip of her nose and sat in the passenger seat.

The car started. Jiang Zhao rolled her sleeves up to her forearms, revealing a stretch of cold-white skin. Her hands expertly handled the steering wheel as she turned.

A thought popped into Qin Fengyue’s head, and she suddenly grabbed the work ID on Jiang Zhao’s chest.

The Alpha’s body seemed to stiffen for a second.

Jiang Zhao slammed on the brakes, her dark pupils peering down at her.

Qin Fengyue held the ID, leaning her upper body forward slightly, her breath brushing against Jiang Zhao’s exposed skin. “This… it’s a fake ID, isn’t it?”

Jiang Zhao: “What are you doing?”

Qin Fengyue’s eyes were bright, looking like she had caught someone’s secret. She got carried away: “Exactly how many part-time jobs do you have? Can you even be a designated driver at eighteen with this ID?”

Jiang Zhao gave a lazy response. Qin Fengyue’s surprise was expected, so the mockery in the second half of her sentence was also logical.

“That’s incredible!”

“Don’t meddle in—”

The two spoke in unison.

Jiang Zhao was slightly stunned, then pressed her lips thin.

Qin Fengyue was dumbfounded. “Were you about to mock me again?”

“No,” Jiang Zhao said flatly.

Qin Fengyue: “You were!”

Jiang Zhao freed one hand, pressed it against Qin Fengyue’s forehead, and pushed her away. “Fasten your seatbelt.”

Qin Fengyue: “Mmph.”

Restarting the car, Jiang Zhao successfully changed the subject. “Where is your home?”

Qin Fengyue fastened her seatbelt and said casually, “Just drop me off at any hotel near the school.”

Jiang Zhao: “Not going home?”

Qin Fengyue “tsked.” “If I go home, my dad will know I skipped class. Wouldn’t that be the end of my life?”

Qin Fengyue curled up in the passenger seat and let out a lazy yawn. The mellow scent of red wine was faintly perceptible.

Jiang Zhao suddenly looked at Qin Fengyue. “How much did you drink?”

Qin Fengyue: “Huh?”

Jiang Zhao: “You smell entirely of alcohol.”

Qin Fengyue giggled. “Can you smell it? My pheromone is red wine. Have you ever tasted an ’82 Lafite?”

Jiang Zhao sneered. “No.”

Qin Fengyue went limp against the seat back like a quadriplegic, her eyes half-open in a sleepy daze. “I’ll treat you next time.”

Perhaps because her spirited little look was too cute, Jiang Zhao said instinctively, “Drink the Lafite? Or drink you?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Jiang Zhao almost bit her own tongue.

She glanced at Qin Fengyue, a sudden emotion like a thick fog surging in her heart.

Qin Fengyue leaned against the window, her eyes closed as she fell asleep.

Even after the Alpha’s scrutinizing gaze was withdrawn, Qin Fengyue’s heart was still thundering, her eyelids clamped tightly shut over her eyes.

Jiang Zhao: “…”

The car cabin fell into total silence. Jiang Zhao drove onto the elevated highway, merging like a stream into the sea.

At 2:00 AM, Jiang Zhao returned home. The house was silent. Though she changed her shoes quietly in the entryway, she still disturbed An Su.

A sliver of light appeared from the master bedroom door. An Su walked out draped in a coat. “Working again today?”

Jiang Zhao: “The restaurant was temporarily short-handed, they asked me to fill in.”

An Su sighed. “Xiao Zhao, didn’t we agree with Mom? No more working once school starts.”

Jiang Zhao flicked on the wall lamp. “I can handle it.”

An Su: “Mom is here to earn money. You need to watch your health. Going to the shop every day after school—what about your studies?”

Jiang Zhao didn’t want to argue. “Okay, I won’t go anymore.”

An Su, worried about her being impatient, dropped the subject and asked, “Anything interesting happen at school?”

Jiang Zhao poured herself a glass of water. “What counts as interesting?”

An Su: “I knew we shouldn’t have gone to Alpha High. You’re eighteen; if you don’t grab the tail of your youth, it’ll be gone.”

Jiang Zhao: “Alpha High has more scholarships.”

An Su gave her a reproachful look and clutched her clothes to return to her room, muttering, “If I hadn’t recognized you in the delivery room before I fainted… I’d really be afraid you weren’t my biological daughter.”

Jiang Zhao’s eyes held a smile. She took out her phone to clear a day’s worth of unread messages.

Yao Ting: 【Ask you something.】

Yao Ting: 【Reply when you see this.】

Jiang Zhao replied with a question mark.

The other side replied almost instantly.

【This late? Working again?】

Jiang Zhao: 【Mm.】

Yao Ting: 【Busy until now?】

The other side tentatively typed another line. 【Isn’t Auntie An out of the hospital? How much are you still short?】

Jiang Zhao typed slowly, as if her desire to confide had finally found a vent.

【Had classes all day today. Went to the office to grade papers at noon. Tutoring in the afternoon. Working at the restaurant at night. After work, I even found time for two trips as a designated driver.】

The Alpha let out a laugh. 【Thinking about it like that, it does seem pretty impressive.】

Yao Ting was speechless and sent a voice note: “Are you drunk?”

“Aren’t you tired?” Yao Ting asked.

【Are you in a relationship?】 Yao Ting suddenly asked.

Jiang Zhao: 【No. Why do you ask?】

Yao Ting: 【Oh, it’s just rare to see you this sentimental…】

Jiang Zhao covered her phone, her fingers loosely encircling the water glass. After a while, she picked up her phone and sent another friend request to Qin Fengyue.

The next morning, Qin Fengyue was woken by five or six alarms. Early in the morning, she followed yesterday’s wall-climbing route to sneak back.

Her stomach was empty, and her head was still dizzy. Her memory of last night ended with being settled into a hotel room by Jiang Zhao.

She hadn’t even showered, rolling herself into a cocoon in the duvet. She had even made Jiang Zhao set her alarms before leaving.

Careless! Too careless!

How could I have zero defenses against my lifelong enemy, Jiang Zhao?

Although… Jiang Zhao did help her again last night…

Miss Qin couldn’t get over her pride, remaining in a state of “self-seclusion” until evening self-study ended.

Jiang Da returned from the office clutching a stack of papers, shouting loudly, “The results are out! The results are out!”

Qin Fengyue looked up and saw Jiang Zhao walking in behind him.

Jiang Zhao had gone to the office to tabulate scores. Right now, she was surrounded by the whole class as if she were holding top-secret state secrets.

The crowd was bustling. Qin Fengyue sniffed. In the end, grades were the most important thing. She was counting on this exam to move to a seat in the back.

Jiang Zhao posted the transcript on the wall, turned around, and met Qin Fengyue’s amber eyes.

The Alpha narrowed her eyes slightly.

Qin Fengyue raised both hands. “Staying away from you! I got it!”

Jiang Zhao pursed her lips and moved aside.

“Can I change seats this time?” Qin Fengyue asked.

Jiang Zhao looked down, returning to that “don’t come near me” ghostly expression. “Look at the rankings.”

Bai Xue pulled on Qin Fengyue’s sleeve. Once Jiang Zhao left, she whispered to Qin Fengyue, “You still haven’t thanked Jiang Zhao?”

Qin Fengyue shook her head.

Bai Xue gave an “oh.” “No wonder.”

Qin Fengyue: “…”