After Differentiation, I Marked My Arch-nemesis - Chapter 80

Lu Yaoyi’s vision blurred with tears. She wanted to know what else Chen Huaian said, so she fought back her sadness and continued reading the class chat history.

The messages scrolled into view:

[Lin Yixuan]: Pei Jingning is treating you and Jiang Youli to dinner?

[Lin Yixuan]: @Chen Huaian.

[Zhu Mengzhu]: Ooh, I smell a little gossip.

Li Xiangyang: Why is the class beauty from Class 2 treating you two to dinner?

Chen Huaian: Because my boss is charming, of course.

[Wang Qiyu]: Holy sh*t

Chen Huaian: The boss and I are having a blast with them.

Chen Huaian: Gotta go.

Gu Zongming: Does Pei Jingning like Jiang Youli?

Wen Siyi: It’s very possible…

[Zhang Shuwen]: Huaian said so, so she must.

[Wang Qiyu]: It’s totally normal for Pei Jingning to like Jiang Youli. One’s an Omega and the other’s an Alpha—they’re a perfect match. Maybe they’re already dating.

Li Xiangyang: Wasn’t Lu Yaoyi the perfect Omega for Jiang Youli?

[Lin Yixuan]: You’re playing with fire, @Li Xiangyang.

Li Xiangyang: [Sorry, I was wrong.JPG]

Gu Zongming: What do you think Lu Yaoyi would think if she saw this?

[Fang Jingshan]: What would she think? Didn’t Jiang Youli tear up their pheromone test report? And you all know they’ve never gotten along. There’s no way they’re happening. But as for Pei Jingning from Class 2…

[Fang Jingshan]: I think they have a shot.

[Zhang Shuwen]: I also think Jiang Youli and Pei Jingning have a chance.

[Wang Qiyu]: They look pretty good together.

Gu Zongming: Yeah, it’s a feast for the eyes.

Lu Yaoyi lost the will to read on after seeing Gu Zongming’s comment.

She opened the photo Li Xiangyang sent again.

Her gaze froze on the screen.

She looked at Jiang Youli and Pei Jingning in the photo and suddenly laughed, a single, crystal-clear tear sliding down her cheek. Jiang Youli and Pei Jingning really did look great together. It was no wonder their classmates thought so.

Pei Jingning was a very talented and beautiful Omega.

It was normal for Jiang Youli to like her.

But…

How could she accept that the person she had liked for so many years now had feelings for someone else?

So, Jiang Youli hadn’t lied to her.

Jiang Youli really did have an Omega she liked, which was why she ended their partnership.

She couldn’t find any other reason to tell herself.

In a state of helplessness, she lifted her legs, bent her knees on the chair, and hugged her legs, burying her head deeply in her knees. Her body was curled up into a small, pitiful, and lonely ball. An inexpressible bitterness and sorrow overwhelmed her, leaving only pain and sadness.

What should she do?

Jiang Youli had a person she liked, an Omega she liked.

What was she going to do now?

Jiang Youli stayed in the private room for a long time before finally going to the restroom for a moment of peace. When she got back, she found her phone had run out of credit and was suspended. She went to Chen Huaian for help, and after he recharged her phone, she received a flood of messages, including some from Lu Yaoyi.

She stared at the screen, hesitating whether to open Lu Yaoyi’s message.

She had thought that going out would distract her from thinking about Lu Yaoyi, but she had spent the entire day thinking about her. She hated how her thoughts were so out of control, but Lu Yaoyi was like a permanent mark on her heart that she couldn’t erase.

After a moment of silence,

She clicked on Lu Yaoyi’s message.

—Jiang Youli, when are you coming home today?

—There’s something I want to tell you in person.

She thought for a moment and replied:

—I don’t know when I’ll be home.

—If you have something to say, just tell me.

Before, Lu Yaoyi would almost always reply in seconds, never making her wait.

This time, it took a long time to get a response from Lu Yaoyi.

—It’s nothing.

Jiang Youli’s heart sank.

She replied with one word.

—Mhm.

The next day,

Jiang Youli found herself spaced out in class, staring at the back of Lu Yaoyi’s head.

She suddenly felt that she and Lu Yaoyi had become strangers.

It was the first time she had ever felt this way.

Back when she used to dislike Lu Yaoyi so much, she could still shamelessly tease and bother her, but now, she found she couldn’t be that bold anymore.

She was even afraid to get close to Lu Yaoyi because of that strange fear.

It was only a partnership that ended.

She didn’t understand why she had become so unlike herself.

She had achieved her goal of staying away from Lu Yaoyi, and she should have been happy.

But she couldn’t bring herself to be.

She felt a constant emptiness in her heart.

She felt like she had lost something without even realizing it.

In late February,

Lu Meishan had to leave Lu Yaoyi to go back to the capital for some company matters. Guan Luyu had also been on a business trip abroad.

Lu Yaoyi was alone at home again.

This time, however, Lu Yaoyi didn’t try to trick Jiang Youli into staying with her.

She figured Jiang Youli probably wouldn’t want to.

So she didn’t push it.

Three days later,

Lu Yaoyi received a call from Lu Meishan in the evening. “Mom.”

“Sweetheart, have you been doing okay at home alone these past few days?”

Lu Meishan’s voice came through the phone.

Lu Yaoyi: “Mhm, I’m doing great. How are you, Mom?”

Lu Meishan: “I’m doing great, too.”

Lu Yaoyi: “How are things going with the company in the capital?”

“Mom will handle the company’s matters, so don’t worry,” Lu Meishan’s voice sounded tired. “Sweetheart, there’s something I want to discuss with you.”

Lu Yaoyi: “What is it?”

“The company’s issues here in the capital are very complicated and difficult to handle, so I might have to stay here for a while. Your mom has also been on a business trip and hasn’t been home,” Lu Meishan said, explaining her idea softly. “Sweetheart, I don’t want you to be alone in Jiangcheng. I want you to transfer to Capital High School and stay with me. This way, I can take better care of you, and I can be at ease knowing you’re in the capital. What do you think about transferring to Capital High School?”

Lu Yaoyi was a little surprised.

Transferring?

She walked over to the sofa and sat down, asking softly, “Mom, is this transfer so sudden? You’ve brought it up, and I haven’t had any time to prepare.”

Lu Meishan: “Sweetheart, I just want you to be with me as soon as possible.”

Lu Yaoyi pressed her lips together and fell silent.

Transferring to Capital High School meant leaving Jiangcheng and leaving Jiang Youli.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be with Lu Meishan in the capital, but that she couldn’t bear to leave her childhood friend, Jiang Youli. “Mom, do I really have to transfer to the capital?”

Lu Meishan: “Sweetheart, if you don’t want to, you can stay in Jiangcheng.”

Lu Yaoyi: “I want to stay in Jiangcheng.”

Lu Meishan: “Why?”

“I can’t bear to leave Dingding,” Lu Yaoyi looked down slightly, her eyes shimmering with so much tenderness and light. “I don’t want to leave Dingding and transfer to Capital High School.”

Lu Meishan understood everything when she heard Lu Yaoyi say that. “But Mom really isn’t comfortable with you being alone in Jiangcheng. If you come here, I can take better care of you. Sweetheart, we’ll still have many chances to come back to Jiangcheng in the future.”

Lu Yaoyi refused without hesitation. “I’ll just stay in Jiangcheng.”

Lu Meishan: “Are you sure you want to stay in Jiangcheng?”

Lu Yaoyi: “Yes.”

Since Lu Yaoyi didn’t want to transfer, Lu Meishan didn’t force her. As long as Lu Yaoyi was taking care of herself, she could be at ease. “Then I agree to let you stay in Jiangcheng, but you have to video call me every day to let me know you’re safe. I’m really not comfortable with you being home alone.”

“Okay,” Lu Yaoyi agreed. “I’ll let you know I’m safe every day.”

“If you ever want to transfer to Capital High School, be sure to tell me,” Lu Meishan said earnestly. “I’ll have someone talk to the principal of Capital High School tomorrow so you can transfer to the capital at any time.”

Lu Yaoyi wouldn’t give herself the chance to transfer to Capital High School.

But she still said, “Okay.”

Lu Meishan: “By the way, sweetheart.”

Lu Yaoyi: “Mhm?”

Lu Meishan: “Are you sure you don’t want Dingding to come and stay with you?”

Lu Yaoyi: “No, Mom.”

Her voice weakened. “I can take care of myself.”

Lu Meishan: “Then call me if you need anything.”

Lu Yaoyi: “Okay.”

Lu Meishan: “I’m going to get back to work now. I’ll talk to you later.”

Lu Yaoyi: “Mhm, goodbye, Mom.”

Lu Meishan: “Goodbye, sweetheart.”

They hung up.

Lu Yaoyi slowly lowered her hand holding the phone.

She walked to the window, facing the evening breeze, and looked at the starry sky outside, feeling very low.

She had always wanted to ask Jiang Youli about Pei Jingning but was too afraid of getting an answer she didn’t want to take that step. Even though she and Jiang Youli hadn’t spoken since they ended their partnership, and even though Jiang Youli had a person and an Omega she liked,

She still wanted to stay in Jiangcheng, to be near Jiang Youli.

As long as Jiang Youli was happy,

She would be okay.

Even if it was just watching Jiang Youli from a distance.

That was enough.

In early March,

The Jiangcheng No. 1 High School spring sports meet came as scheduled. It lasted for three days, from Wednesday to Friday. After the opening ceremony, the events officially began, and athletes from each class went to their respective competitions.

The volleyball game was on Thursday afternoon.

After her game, Jiang Youli secretly went to the badminton court alone.

The school-wide broadcast kept playing announcements cheering for Lu Yaoyi.

And there were also broadcasts of people confessing their feelings for her.

Jiang Youli hid in a crowded corner with her hat on, watching Lu Yaoyi in a badminton doubles match. Since their partnership ended, she and Lu Yaoyi hadn’t said a word to each other.

These days, she missed being with Lu Yaoyi constantly.

She thought that after a long time, everything would go back to normal.

She thought that she would be able to forget.

If only she hadn’t liked Lu Yaoyi’s pheromones so much…

Then she wouldn’t have agreed to the partnership in the first place, and she and Lu Yaoyi wouldn’t have become like strangers. This wasn’t the result she truly wanted.

Unfortunately, there was no “if only.”

Sigh…

She watched half of the game and left with a depressed feeling.

In the evening,

Jiang Youli was in a very bad mood, so she asked a few friends to go out and drink with her.

Loud music was blaring in the private room.

A few of them sat together, drinking.

Chen Huaian had been observing Jiang Youli, who was acting strangely. He looked at Jiang Youli’s flushed face from drinking and asked, “Boss, you never used to drink when we went out. Why are you making an exception and drinking with us today?”

Jiang Youli: “No reason.”

She tilted her head back and finished a glass. “I just suddenly felt like drinking.”

Chen Huaian: “Aren’t you afraid Uncle Jiang will scold you for drinking?”

Jiang Youli: “I’ve already had some, so why worry?”

Chen Huaian: “Good point.”

Cen Ziqin suddenly put her arm around Jiang Youli’s shoulder. “A-You, since you’ve asked us out to drink, how about we play a game?”

Shen Yichuan looked at Cen Ziqin. “What game?”

Cen Ziqin raised her eyebrows. “How about Truth or Dare?”

Chen Huaian got excited about the game. “I’m in.”

“We’ll do the simplest version with rock-paper-scissors,” Cen Ziqin said, holding out her clenched fist. “The loser chooses either truth or dare, and the winner gets to ask the question or make the dare. How’s that?”

Everyone agreed to the game.

Soon,

The first round began.

After a few rounds, everyone chose to answer a truth question that didn’t contain any scandalous details.

And nobody knew if they were being honest.

It was almost eleven at night.

“It’s almost eleven, and we have the sports meet tomorrow, so let’s head back early and get some sleep,” Shen Yichuan suggested, finding the truth questions boring. “Let’s play one last round of Truth or Dare, and the person who loses has to do a dare.”

Everyone else agreed.

The final round began.

When rock-paper-scissors ended, Jiang Youli lost.

The person who won was Cen Ziqin, who had been winning all night.

“A-You, are you ready for a dare?” Cen Ziqin drank a glass of wine and smiled cunningly at Jiang Youli. “What kind of dare should I make you do?”

Jiang Youli drank a glass of wine, unbothered. “Whatever.”

Cen Ziqin: “Really?”

Jiang Youli: “I lost, so I have to accept the consequences. Of course, it’s real.”

Cen Ziqin: “Then I’m not holding back.”

Jiang Youli didn’t say anything.

Cen Ziqin turned to look at her friends. “What kind of dare would be fun for A-You to do? Give me some suggestions.”

The people in the private room looked at each other.

Chen Huaian had a flash of inspiration and leaned in to whisper something to Cen Ziqin.

“Tsk.”

Cen Ziqin laughed suggestively after hearing him. “Huaian, you’re so bad.”

Chen Huaian smiled. “Since we’re playing, let’s do something exciting.”

Jiang Youli gave them a faint side-eye, not saying a word.

“Huaian’s right. Since we’re playing, let’s do something exciting,” Cen Ziqin said, smiling at Jiang Youli. “A-You, tomorrow is the last day of the sports meet. How about you confess your feelings to the class beauty from our Class 2, Pei Jingning, in front of the whole school?”