After Ditching Four Powerful Alphas, I Differentiated into an Omega - Chapter 20

Qiao Yu died a hundred deaths on the spot.

She was pinned against Song Wanying’s body, the latter’s long figure leaning in with an oppressive aura, making Qiao Yu’s legs feel a little weak. The top-tier Alpha pheromones she felt were not from Ye Yunjian, but from Song Wanying.

Both she and Lu Shangyi were tall, and their figures perfectly blocked the view of others, creating an airtight circle around Qiao Yu in their territory, leaving her no chance to escape.

Qiao Yu didn’t dare to breathe. She was about to righteously argue, “I’m a minor and I can look at whoever I want,” but upon meeting Song Wanying’s dark, dangerous eyes, she timidly swallowed her words. “No,” she said, feigning innocence. “I’m actually here to see you, Sister Song.”

“I saw your schedule in a fan group and rushed here without stopping,” Qiao Yu swore, holding up two fingers. Song Wanying chuckled softly. “Do you think…”

Song Wanying drew out the short phrase, and Qiao Yu felt like a prisoner waiting for her sentence, her heart pounding in her throat. Song Wanying finally took pity on her and finished the sentence, “that I, a top female celebrity, would leak my private schedule in a chaotic fan group?”

Qiao Yu was speechless. This was incredibly awkward.

Song Wanying was intimidating, and Qiao Yu was terrified. Her dark eyes darted around, suddenly landing on the quietly observing Lu Shangyi. The moment Lu Shangyi was targeted by Qiao Yu’s gaze, she knew what she was going to do. As expected, the child became serious, her face filled with solemnity. “Actually, I secretly followed Sister Lu here.”

“Sister Lu hasn’t fully recovered yet, and I was so worried that something might happen to her, so I secretly followed her all the way here.”

Lu Shangyi simply chuckled at her words. Qiao Yu was confused by her laughter. She glanced at Song Wanying, who already had a knowing expression. A subtle panic rose in Qiao Yu’s heart. She discreetly tried to move away, but was stopped by a casual motion from Lu Shangyi.

Lu Shangyi leaned in and smiled at her, her ink-like eyebrows becoming lively and captivating with the smile. “To shake off the people my brother sent to follow me, I changed cars a dozen times on my way here.”

Even her tone, usually so cool and detached, held a hint of amusement. “I even shook off professional trackers.”

The implication was clear: If I can shake off professional trackers, how could I not shake off a clumsy minor like you?

Qiao Yu’s confident expression froze on her face. Unable to defend herself, and after a complex internal struggle, she closed her eyes and confessed everything with a sense of self-abandonment. “Okay, fine. I was actually here to see Auntie Ye.”

“But I only intended to take a quick peek. I definitely don’t have any other intentions.”

Song Wanying gave her a sharp, penetrating look that seemed to ask, “Do you think I’ll believe that?”

“Why would you want to see her?” Ye Yunjian was accustomed to a life of luxury and only frequented high-end establishments. Lu Shangyi didn’t think she and Qiao Yu had any connection. Her scrutinizing gaze lingered on Qiao Yu’s tightly-pressed lips, and Lu Shangyi had a guess. “Is she also one of your matches?”

The word “also” was very telling.

Qiao Yu was terrified that Lu Shangyi would discover something, so she quickly shook her head with a surge of energy. “No, no, of course not.” She said with little conviction, “How could I be worthy of being matched with such an outstanding woman as Auntie Ye?”

She opened her innocent cat-like eyes. “I just heard someone mention Auntie Ye today, and I was a little curious.”

Song Wanying and Lu Shangyi both raised an eyebrow. Oh? She hasn’t even met her yet and she’s already buttering her up?

The more Qiao Yu explained and denied it, the more it proved she was hiding something. Staring at Lu Shangyi and Song Wanying’s expressions, which clearly showed they didn’t believe her, Qiao Yu started to question her life choices. Since they didn’t believe her anyway, why had she bothered making so many excuses?

“Adults these days are so hard to fool,” Qiao Yu complained to the system.

After figuring out the reason for Qiao Yu’s visit, Song Wanying and Lu Shangyi finally let her out of their human wall. The two of them spoke in unison. “This place is too complicated for you. You shouldn’t be here.”

Qiao Yu wanted to ask just how complicated it was, but seeing the malicious looks from the people nearby, she didn’t dare to argue.

Her mission had failed before it even began. Qiao Yu was unceremoniously kicked out of the club without even seeing a single strand of Auntie Ye’s hair. After a moment’s hesitation, Qiao Yu stopped and turned around. “Sister Lu, aren’t you coming with me?”

How dangerous it was for a frail Omega like Sister Lu to be here. There were so many Alpha’s with ill intentions, and every one of them was staring at her with covetous eyes. She was so beautiful and had such fair skin, she stood out in a crowd just like Song Wanying. If someone released a little bit of their pheromones, Sister Lu would be terrified, stumbling, and her legs would turn to jelly.

A cold laugh rang out beside her. Song Wanying elegantly folded her arms. “Do you think I’ve lost my touch, or have they gotten too cocky?”

Song Wanying’s long, wavy hair was draped over her shoulders like ink, making her look like a fairy who had descended from the mist, so beautiful she seemed otherworldly. Qiao Yu looked her in the eyes and said sincerely, “Sister Song, you’re prettier when you don’t talk.”

Song Wanying’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Qiao Yu immediately took off running. “Goodbye, Sister Lu and Sister Song!”

After Qiao Yu was gone, Song Wanying turned around with her arms still folded. “You came here alone,” she said, leaning forward slightly, her beautiful face tilted up, her eyes full of amusement. “Aren’t you afraid Lu Shenghui will find out?”

Lu Shangyi’s expression was calm and composed. “Do you think I’ve lost my touch, or has Lu Shenghui gotten too cocky?”

She used Song Wanying’s exact words to scare Qiao Yu, leaving Song Wanying speechless. Song Wanying stared at Lu Shangyi’s back with an unreadable expression. She refused to believe that Lu Shangyi was a frail Omega.

Although the circulation of certain drugs was strictly prohibited on the market, with Mrs. Lu’s love for her daughter and Lu Shangyi’s connections, it wasn’t impossible to get her hands on them.

There was no reason for a perfectly healthy Alpha to suddenly differentiate into an Omega.

Qiao Yu was very unhappy about being rejected. She had nowhere to go, so she went back to her “Heaven on Earth” and acted like a recluse. But spending so much time at “Heaven on Earth” became boring. Her only two friends from school were either with family at the hospital or at a part-time job being exploited by capitalism. Qiao Yu rubbed her face, feeling a little listless. “It’s so much better at school.”

As if sensing Qiao Yu’s low spirits, Jiang Mei, who was working miles away, ordered a box of energy drinks to be delivered. The delivery driver relayed Jiang Mei’s instructions, “Your friend said to drink one every day, without fail.”

This box of energy drinks was not cheap; it was one of the most popular and luxurious on the market.

Qiao Yu couldn’t help but smile. “My little one is so good. She’s earning money and she still knows to buy good things for her mom.”

She picked up one, bit the corner, and held it in her mouth, but she still felt a pang of sadness for Jiang Mei. How many days and nights would Jiang Mei have to work to earn back the cost of this box? She was resentful! Resentful that her allowance was frozen and she couldn’t spend a single cent!

After finishing the drink with a sense of comfort, Qiao Yu texted Jiang Mei, “I got the stuff. Thank you.”

Jiang Mei saw Qiao Yu’s message immediately, and a rare smile appeared on her usually cold face. “Did you like the flavor? I remember you like strawberry the most.”

Qiao Yu’s heart warmed, and she childishly boasted to the system, “She actually remembers my favorite flavor!”

The system said with a cold expression, “I also know you’re most afraid of Sister Lu and Sister Song.”

“…” She held it in and decided not to argue with an amateur system.

“I like it.” Qiao Yu felt a little shy. “You shouldn’t have spent so much money. It’s not easy for you to earn it.”

Jiang Mei sent an emoji and then said, “I’ll buy you lychee and mango flavors in a couple of days. I heard they’re also very good.”

Qiao Yu’s cheeks hurt from smiling, but thinking about Jiang Mei’s financial situation, she quickly refused. “No need, no need. Strawberry is fine.”

Jiang Mei replied, “Okay.”

After a weekend of grading, the midterm exam results came out quickly. Meng E asked the teacher and said the results would be posted that afternoon. Qiao Yu squeezed her cold hands. “How is your dad doing? Is he any better? If you need money, just let me know.”

Meng E was clearly not in a good mood, but she pretended to be fine. “I’m not sure yet. The results haven’t come out.”

Qiao Yu comforted her. “It’s okay. Your uncle is a good person and he’ll be fine. Everything will get better.”

Meng E forced a smile and nodded, then suddenly stared at Qiao Yu. “By the way, you didn’t secretly go to see your Auntie Ye this weekend, did you?”

Hearing this, Qiao Yu immediately became withdrawn. She shook her head with a sense of indignation. “Of course not. I still don’t know what she looks like.” She said nonchalantly, “I’m so busy every day. Where would I find the time to go see her?”

Meng E let out a sound of surprise. “How strange.”

Qiao Yu’s cheeks flushed. She quickly changed the subject. “E-E, you’ve been differentiated for a while now. Have you thought about getting a partner match?”

Omegas are very weak during their heat. They either have to get through it with suppressants and patches, or by being marked by an Alpha. Therefore, ninety percent of Omegas choose to marry and have children with an Alpha. A powerful Alpha can protect an Omega from a complicated society, so Omegas almost always go to a matchmaking agency to find a genetically compatible Alpha as soon as they differentiate.

However, there are a small number of non-mainstream relationships now, and they are not judged, but they are obviously more difficult than the perfect A/O pairing.

For example, two Omegas would have no way to protect themselves and could easily be in danger or even lose their lives.

Meng E had been differentiated for a while now, and her impending heat meant she was becoming more and more vulnerable. If she didn’t put on a suppressant patch in time, she could easily be marked by an ill-intentioned Alpha and taken home to be kept as a pet.

Hearing this, Meng E’s eyes flickered. “I’ll think about it in a couple of days.”

The situation with her family made her not in the mood to do a matching test. “If I can get into the top five in my grade and win a scholarship, then I’ll go get tested.”

Top five? Qiao Yu remembered Meng E’s last ranking. “Is our E-E not good enough to get a mere top five?”

Meng E’s face flushed slightly. “You’re the top student in the entire grade. Don’t make fun of me.”

Qiao Yu had always had good grades. Since transferring, she had never dropped below first place. The “first place in the entire grade” label was like a permanent part of her identity, and no one could take it away. Therefore, no one doubted that Qiao Yu’s top spot would be stolen. Until the results were posted that afternoon, when Meng E walked over hesitantly, her expression cautious.

Qiao Yu was busy playing a game. She saw a figure out of the corner of her eye but didn’t even lift her head. “How’d it go? Did you get into the top five, E-E?”

Meng E hesitated and nodded. “I did, but…”

She was worried. Qiao Yu was in her differentiation period. If she found out that her number one spot had been stolen, wouldn’t she faint from anger on the spot? She didn’t dare to tell Qiao Yu, but Qiao Yu asked about Jiang Mei’s score. “What about Jiang Mei? What did she get?”

When the other person was silent for so long, Qiao Yu took the opportunity to look up from the screen. “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Mei happened to be walking past the classroom door. Meng E glanced at her and said in a tiny voice, “She got first place in the entire grade.”

Her voice was too low, and Qiao Yu didn’t hear a thing, so she asked again. “What place?”

Meng E was terrified and didn’t dare to breathe. Finally, she thought that Qiao Yu would find out anyway, so she closed her eyes and raised her voice. “She got first place in the entire grade.”

Qiao Yu was stunned, then she smiled. “Really? Then she’s so amazing! But…” Qiao Yu’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment. “What about me? Are we tied for first?”

Meng E really didn’t have the heart to tell her. “Her total score was a full twenty points higher than yours.”

The air around them suddenly became quiet, with a suffocating feeling. No one expected Jiang Mei to suddenly go into overdrive and beat the former number one by so many points. The difficulty of the exam was similar to the last one. Qiao Yu’s total score had increased by a dozen points, so it was a small improvement. But compared to Jiang Mei’s stellar score, it seemed insignificant.

No one knew if Jiang Mei had been holding back on purpose before, or if she had just studied better this time, or if she had gotten lucky. Within a short break, the news that Jiang Mei was the new number one in the grade had spread throughout the school, and even the freshmen and sophomores had heard about Qiao Yu’s number one spot being taken.

Jiang Mei was usually cold and unapproachable. Many people who were attracted to her beauty never had the chance to get close to her, so her image in everyone’s minds grew more and more magnificent until she finally reached a godlike status today.

No one disliked an Alpha with good grades and strong genes. In the eyes of some wealthy families, Jiang Mei’s impoverished background was irrelevant. They actually preferred a daughter-in-law or son-in-law with a simple background but great ability.

Qiao Yu was frozen. Her mind was filled with one thought: she wasn’t number one anymore?

Jiang Mei walked over, looking a little unnatural. She gently placed a White Rabbit candy on Qiao Yu’s desk. “I was a little lucky this time. Several of the questions on the exam were ones I had already practiced.”

She said it with humility, but Qiao Yu didn’t believe the excuses from these good kids. Her eyes drifted to the candy Jiang Mei was trying to pacify her with. Qiao Yu let out a small huff and turned her head to the side. “You think you can win me over with a single candy?”

Jiang Mei seemed to relax. She took out a few pieces of chocolate, some strawberry-flavored hard candies, and another popular brand of nutritional milk tablets from her bag. “Then,” she said cautiously, “you can have all of these.”

After a moment of hesitation, Qiao Yu accepted the gifts. How could she so accurately guess what she wanted to eat right now?

She suspected that Jiang Mei had installed a surveillance camera in her brain, but she had no proof.

Meng E watched from the side with a blank expression. She had expected Qiao Yu to be more assertive and declare war on Jiang Mei, but who would have thought that she would be bought off by a few candies?

Although Qiao Yu accepted Jiang Mei’s candies, she still felt a pang of heartache. Taking a second place made her realize the wickedness of society and the complexity of human nature. If she accidentally got a third place in the future, wouldn’t these people say she was a disgrace to the family and a lost cause every day?

It was simply too much!

Just then, Tang Shu walked right into her trap. “I heard you got second this time? Are you not good enough anymore? How could someone like Jiang Mei steal your number one spot?”

Qiao Yu sneered. “You didn’t beat Jiang Mei either, and you didn’t even beat E-E.”

“At least E-E got into the top five. I looked for your name for a long time, and I couldn’t find it.” Qiao Yu sent an emoji of surprise. “You didn’t even get into the top ten, did you?”

Because of her carelessness this time, Tang Shu was ranked eleventh. Qiao Yu had hit a sore spot, and Tang Shu angrily threw her phone to the side.

The other person didn’t reply for a long time. Qiao Yu held her phone, still wanting more. “I feel so much better after talking to Tang Shu.” Her eyes lit up. “She and I really are the best sisters in the world!”

She sent a mischievous message. “Shushu, thank you. After your heartfelt comfort, I feel so much better.” After a pause, she sent another one. “Don’t be too sad. If you keep working hard, maybe one day you’ll catch up to half of my score.”

A bright red exclamation point appeared next to the message out of nowhere. Qiao Yu’s face was expressionless. “…”

She was a bad player who was addicted to the game.

Jiang Mei had become very popular lately. Not only did she receive love letters from beautiful and graceful Omega freshmen, but she also received snacks from boyish Omega freshmen. Qiao Yu watched enviously. She used to have all that fame. Jiang Mei’s life was like a bounce back from the bottom. In an instant, she had risen above the common crowd. It took only half a week to go from being a nobody to becoming a god.

Qiao Yu closed her eyes. “I’m not jealous at all.”

A moment later, she opened her eyes. Jiang Mei was holding a small bottle of milk. “Here you go.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the jealous gazes of the freshmen. Qiao Yu tried to hold back the smile on her face. “How can I accept this? You’re always buying me food, but you have nothing for yourself.”

Jiang Mei gently placed the milk in her palm. “I’m an Alpha. I don’t need to eat these.”

Qiao Yu started to feel a little jealous. “I wonder when I’ll differentiate.”

Half a month had passed, but there were still no signs of her differentiating. Jiang Mei’s fingers moved slightly. Qiao Yu’s fluffy hair looked very comfortable to the touch. While Qiao Yu was drinking her milk, Jiang Mei gathered her courage and gently patted her head. The touch on her palm was soft, and a subtle feeling crossed her heart. “You will differentiate.”

A light touch suddenly fell on her head. Qiao Yu looked up in confusion. Jiang Mei calmly retracted her hand. “Drinking more milk will make you taller.”

Qiao Yu pretended not to understand that she was being called short. The milk did taste good, and Qiao Yu asked curiously, “Where did you buy this? I’ve never seen it before.”

“You like it?” Jiang Mei’s expression became a little lively. “Then I’ll buy it for you every day.”

This… Qiao Yu blinked. “That’s too much trouble for you.”

“It’s no trouble. I got a raise.”

Qiao Yu thought Jiang Mei was just joking, but she didn’t expect Jiang Mei to really give her a bottle of milk, two candies, and a drink every day to supplement her nutrients. Qiao Yu held the items and said seriously, “I have a strong suspicion that the female lead won the lottery for five million dollars.”

The system’s mouth twitched. “How can she be so lucky? Please remember: the female lead has a ‘beautiful, strong, and tragic’ persona.”

Speaking of a “beautiful, strong, and tragic” persona, Qiao Yu thought Lu Shangyi fit the description more. Lu Shangyi, who was in the prime of her life, suddenly got into a car accident and differentiated into a frail Omega. Not only did she lose her right to inherit, but she was also monitored by her own brother every day and couldn’t do anything.

“Sister Lu must be so bored being cooped up at home every day,” Qiao Yu said. “I have to go keep her company more often.”

Qiao Yu was a person of action. As soon as school was out on Friday, she took a taxi to the Lu family’s old mansion. Lu Shangyi was a little surprised to receive her call, but she didn’t turn her away. After letting her in, Qiao Yu looked around at the small, antique building, and suddenly felt that Lu Shangyi had a certain classic and aristocratic elegance about her.

Qiao Yu stared at her beautiful face, her throat moving imperceptibly, until a video call rang.

She fumbled to answer the call. “Sister Song?”

Lu Shangyi lifted her eyelids and their gazes met through the phone screen. Song Wanying raised an eyebrow. “Is she there too?”

After asking, she didn’t wait for Qiao Yu’s answer and continued on her own. “My new movie’s doing well at the box office. Are you free tomorrow? I promised to treat you to a meal.”

Song Wanying had just finished a run and was sitting in her car. The radio was on, and her manager wanted to turn down the volume, but accidentally switched channels. A female host with a pure broadcast voice said, “Today’s financial news! The Qiao Group has made a massive acquisition of a Lu subsidiary and outbid the Song Group for a plot of land in the suburbs, which is suspected of being an official declaration of war against the Lu and Song families…”

Song Wanying and Lu Shangyi’s gazes met, one through the screen and the other directly.

Qiao Yu’s scalp tingled.

It’s not me. I didn’t do it. It wasn’t me!

The television is lying!

The parents’ actions have nothing to do with their child!!!